BHW PARTY-LIST Representative Angelica Natasha Co sought the deployment of barangay health workers and other healthcare frontliners in schools to ensure safe in-person classes starting November 2.

Co said that barangay health workers and other healthcare frontliners can help administrators, teachers and other school personnel in keeping the campuses free not only of Covid19 but also other communicable diseases.

“Barangay health workers should help school principals protect students and teachers from the many health risks out there,” she said.

However, Co noted that barangay health workers should get additional honorarium or stipend for the deployment.

“Schools and barangays will have to work together more now. Some kids going back to school would probably have difficulties involving social skills, mental health, undernourishment, lacking mandatory vaccines, on top of learning deficiencies because of two years of pandemic,” she stressed.

The lawmaker also stressed the need to have all students vaccinated and boosted against the virus.

“Teachers and other personnel who are not vaxxed but required to report for work could have movements limited to a separate building on campus. They could also have less workdays on campus and more work at home,” she added.

To prevent the transmission of Covid19 in the classroom, Co said that students with symptoms should be sent home and placed in isolation.

She also suggested the removal of plastic barriers in classrooms because these impede ventilation and circulation of air.