• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria has suspended the Aug. 7 classes at all levels, public and private provincewide, in view of the reported increase in cases of conjunctivitis (sore eyes) and the need to minimize close-contact exposure among learners, teaching personnel, and school employees.
In Executive Order 50 dated Aug. 5, Sagarbarria ordered all school heads, administrators, and responsible officials of public and private educational institutions to utilize the suspension period to undertake cleaning, disinfection, and sanitation measures within their respective campuses and facilities, particularly classrooms, offices, comfort rooms, clinics, handrails, desks, chairs, learning equipment, and other high-contact areas.
“The temporary suspension of classes will reduce person-to-person exposure, allow affected students and personnel to rest and seek medical attention, and give schools adequate time to undertake cleaning, disinfection, and sanitation of classrooms, toilets, corridors, learning materials, and other frequently touched surfaces,” the EO stressed.
Sore eyes, commonly associated with conjunctival infection or irritation, may spread quickly in school settings because of close physical interaction, shared surfaces, and common facilities, Sagarbarria noted, hence the need to adopt immediate preventive measures to protect public health and avoid the further spread of the infection.
He urged parents, guardians, learners, teaching and non-teaching personnel, and the general public, to observe proper hygiene and infection prevention measures.
These include frequent handwashing, avoiding the sharing of personal items, refraining from unnecessary close physical contact, and seeking appropriate medical consultation when symptoms of sore eyes appear. | CGC
