CHED: Limited in-person classes in Alert Level 3 areas may begin on January 31
MANILA, Philippines — Higher education institutions in areas under Alert Level 3 may hold limited face-to-face classes no earlier than January 31, the Commission on Higher Education said Tuesday, adding schools must be ready to ensure student safety and that their communities agree to a return to classrooms.
CHED said the recommendation was made by the Public Health Services Team of the Department of Health "given the surge in COVID-19 cases."
Meanwhile, universities and colleges in areas under Alert Level 2 may start limited in-person classes anytime.
"Higher education institutes intending to hold limited face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic must be willing to assume the responsibilities for the reopening of their campuses based on their ability to comply with the health and safety protocols, to retrofit their facilities, and to get the support of their stakeholders," it said.
Universities and colleges under Alert Level 2 began their limited face-to-face classes in December 2021 as part of the commission’s reopening plan.
If there is clustering of infections, the higher education institution's Crisis Management Committee will decide on the preventive suspension of classes in consultation with the Local Task Force against COVID-19.
CHED’s announcement comes as daily COVID-19 cases reach unprecedented highs this month following increased mobility during the holiday season and the detection of the hyper-transmissible Omicron variant.
The Philippines has registered more than three million COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic. Of the total, 181,016 are active cases. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
- Latest
- Trending
