THE DEPARTMENT of Education has issued regulations on the use of schools as isolation areas.

The department said that schools where construction projects are ongoing should not be used as isolation centers unless these have large spaces.

“The pandemic did not hamper our mission to provide conducive and motivating facilities. Our infrastructure projects remain a priority to help our stakeholders, especially teachers, to have a comfortable place to work in,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.

In a memorandum sent to officials and school heads, the DepEd directed schools of the infrastructure projects to politely decline requests for their schools to be used as isolation facilities.

However, if the recipient school is currently being used as an isolation area, two courses of action may be taken.

If the school is large enough to segregate the isolation area and the construction site, the school can still house the isolation facility provided that barriers are in place.

However, if the school has a limited area, it must coordinate with the local government unit and request the immediate transfer of the isolation facility to a nearby school that is not a recipient of infrastructure projects.

“The Department is one with the national effort to curb the surge of Covid19 cases and hopefully putting an end to the pandemic. However, we must also ensure that the needs of learners are met including the establishment of adequate, safe, and conducive learning facilities, as mandated,”  Undersecretary for Administration and DepEd Task Force Covif19 Chairman Alain Pascua said.

Infrastructure projects such as the construction or repair of school buildings are expected to start in the third quarter of 2021.