MANILA, Philippines — The City of Manila on Wednesday said it approved the University of Santo Tomas' proposal to hold limited face-to-face classes for its medical and allied health programs.
The plan was given the green light after Mayor Isko Moreno met with UST officials "to discuss how the [school] will observe health and safety protocols, manage occupancy capacity, and implement contingency plans should students, faculty or staffers develop COVID-19 symptoms," Manila PIO said in a press release.
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It added that Moreno reminded the school officials not to force students to physically attend classes.
The mayor also said that teachers in Manila will be among the first to receive COVID-19 jabs under its inoculation plan. "Whether you're a Manilan or a non-Manilan, as long as you're working here in Manila, you will be included in the list for [the] vaccine," Moreno is quoted as saying.
To ensure the availability of properly trained health workers amid the pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte last month approved limited face-to-face classes in schools offering medical and allied programs.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the approval covers higher educational institutions in places under the most lenient modified general community quarantine and general community quarantine with base hospitals that serve COVID-19 patients.
However, the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Health require schools looking to resume face-to-face classes to discuss their strategy for compliance with minimum health standards and other protocols with their respective local government units.
— Bella Perez-Rubio with a report from Franco Luna and The STAR