THE DEPARTMENT of Health believes that there is no reason to defer the opening of classes despite the detection of the country’s first monkeypox case.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that safeguards have been put in place to ensure the safety of children who will attend face-to-face classes.

“Ang isa sa pinaka-importante, we will be working with the Department of Education on this, would be the screening of children and teachers when they go to school,” Vergerie said in a news briefing in Tuesday.

“Walang papasok dapat sa eskwela na may mga sintomas o ‘di kaya kung meron nang mga lesions, makita na natin agad,” she added.

Last week, the Philippines detected its first case of the monkeypox virus — a 31-year-old Filipino who arrived from overseas on July 19.

DOH’s deputy spokesperson Dr. Beverly Ho said the person had prior travel to countries with documented monkeypox cases.

School year 2022-2023 is set to start on August 22 for public schools.

Full face-to-face classes in both public and private schools will start in November.