Press Release/March 3, 2020
The Department of Health (DOH)- CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) continues its intensified health education campaign now targeting various schools in the region to extend awareness and proper information on COVID-19 to help reduce fear and worry among students including their families.
“We have to properly educate and inform our students on what COVID-19 is all about to avoid confusion and panic and how it can be prevented. “Ang mga eskuwelahan lalo na ang mga pribado ay itinuturing na entry at exit point ng corona virus dahil sa mga dayuhang estudyante at kasama na dito ang iba pang madalas lumalabas ng bansa upang umuwi o magbakasyon,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo stated.
“CALABARZON has no confirmed case of COVID-19 yet but health measures to contain and prevent its spread are in place should there be a need to implement an emergency procedure,” he assured.
The DOH-CALABARZON Rapid Response Unit (RRT) composed of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease Program (EREID), Health Emergency Management Service (HEMS), Health Education and Promotion Unit (HEPU) and the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) continuous to visit schools and educate students on COVID-19.
A series of lectures about COVID-19, how it began, its symptoms, complications, transmission and prevention including national and global updates were given to grade 7 to grade 10 students including proper wearing and disposing of masks and hand washing.
Janairo encouraged students to help disseminate proper information to their families and avoid spreading fake news about the virus online. “The DOH is the ONLY proper agency that provides information on COVID-10.”
The information dissemination in schools is also supported by CHED’s guidelines to prevent the spreads of COVID-19 issued on February 2020 which urged faculty members, staff, and students to avoid digesting and spreading fake news about the disease and are encouraged to only rely on and disseminate relevant information obtained from DOH and WHO via their official website.
