The Department of Health confirmed on Friday, November 4 that students have been infected with Covid-19 since the start of face-to-face classes but that the cases should not hinder the full implementation of in-person classes which resumed last August 22.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire reported that 3,900 students from various schools in the country were recorded to have caught the virus from September 1 to November 3.

"Pero sa tingin ko, hindi dapat yan maging balakid para patuloy na magkaroon ng full implementation ng face-to-face classes (But I think, this should not hinder the full implementation of face-to-face classes). The benefits of face-to-face classes will outweigh the number of mild infections that had been experienced by our students during these past months that we opened the schools," Vergeire said in a press briefing.

The health official added: "Walang naitala na severe, walang naitala na namatay na estudyante because of this (No severe cases were reported, no deaths among the students were recorded because of this).

Opening up the classes is very essential for the mental health wellness of our students and our children, Vergeire added.

The reported infections were based on DOH's own surveillance and not from the Department of Education.

Vergeire said the DOH and DepEd are in coordination in collecting the data on number of students who have been infected with Covid-19 since the schools returned to in-person classes more than two years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said vaccinations among the youth from 12-17 years old are continuing while awaiting for a recommendation on booster shots for 5-11 years old.

“Until now, 5 to 11 years old booster shots are still not recommended by the Philippine Government. Even our experts have not yet recommended. What we have right now is for 12 to 17 years old (who) can use Sinovac,” she added. (PIA-PMD)