BORACAY – Some classes in public and private schools in Kalibo, Aklan were suspended as pre-emptive measures against the new strain of coronavirus.
This after Kalibo mayor Emerson Lachica issued Executive Order No. 004 on Jan. 29 which called for the suspension of classes to safeguard the health and safety of students, employees and teachers following the announcement of the Provincial Health Office in Aklan that said 11 Chinese nationals were put under medical observation in a government-run training center in Kalibo.
The 11 Chinese – seven adults and four children – were traced by health authorities in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan last week.
They were admitted in the Aklan Provincial Hospital in Kalibo on Jan. 24 and were transferred the next day to the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center in Barangay Old Buswang – about two kilometers from downtown Kalibo for monitoring.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Cornelio Cuachon Jr. said the tourists did not manifest the “flu-like” symptoms after four of them had close contacts with a patient positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong.
The Chinese nationals from Hubei province will stay in Aklan until Feb. 3 or the maximum 14-day incubation period.
Although there are no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Aklan, the indefinite suspension of classes is in effect for schools near the tourism and training center.
The class suspension affected around 4,000 students of Starglow Center for Academics and Arts, Buswang Old Bakhaw Sur Elementary School and the Saint Gabriel College, which are within the 500-meter radius from the training center.
Classes in the Regional Science High School for Region VI were also cancelled while some parents did not wait for an official class suspension announcement.
The “virus scare” also prompted people to buy and wear face masks for protection.
Around 6,065 confirmed cases and 132 deaths globally were recorded due to the coronavirus from China, according to the World Health Organization on Jan. 29.
Of the figure, China had 5,997 confirmed cases and 9,239 suspected cases.(With a report from Akean Forum/PN)
