ILOILO City – Three teachers of Ateneo de Iloilo in Mandurriao district tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
They were taken to a government-run isolation facility, according to school president Fr. Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez, SJ.
Of the three teachers, one was found infected on Aug. 19 while the two others were informed of their test results on Aug. 28.
They were all well and not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, said Sanchez.
“The rest of the teachers in our contact list remain confined at home save for three who are securely quarantined at our school gym. All of them hope to be cleared by the time they complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine after their swabbing,” he added.
The school management already conducted disinfection at the campus twice, concentrating on those areas frequented by those on quarantine.
Meanwhile, the school management ordered all its faculty and staff to work from home today as their maintenance personnel will disinfect school premises.
The facilities at the school’s old campus will be made available to teachers who are not able to conduct online classes at home.
“As to work arrangements in the next two weeks, please wait for further instructions as we await the release of announcement and guidelines by the IATF and our local government. Online classes will, however, go on as usual as students will be studying at home,” read part of Sanchez’s circular.
Sanchez assured the entire community that they are continuously in close coordination with the City Mayor’s Office, City Health Office and the Department of Health since the first employee reported her exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual.
“We have received guidance and taken instructions from these offices. We are grateful for all the assistance they have extended to us in terms of disinfecting our premises, swabbing those in our contact list, advising us on quarantine procedures and guiding us in the general handling of the situation,” Sanchez added.
The school, according to him, followed all protocols and will continue to disinfect the whole campus.
“It is unfortunate though that one of the outcomes of this event is that some of our personnel are now held suspect of being carriers of the virus and may possibly be suffering from discrimination. We ask all employees who will be needing assistance in this matter to kindly coordinate with our Human Resource Office. Our legal counsel will be working closely with the relevant local agencies to explore ways of addressing this concern,” Sanchez said./PN
