SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday said that Covid19 alert levels should help local government units determine which schools should be opened after the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes.

“If businesses and industries can be managed by alert levels, I think school openings should also be based on alert levels. Because the concept here is to go back as normal as possible, and the alert levels give a granular approach to normalcy,” Gatchalian said.

“Moving forward, to make it easier for everyone, just apply the alert levels as we are applying it to the business sector,” he added.

There are five alert levels or quarantine classifications that may be assigned to cities or municipalities with Alert Level 1 being the most relaxed and Alert Level 5 as the most stringent.

Alert levels are determined based on factors such as case counts, transmission, as well as total bed utilization and intensive care unit utilization rates.

Gatchalian shared the example of Aklan, which is currently under Alert Level 2.

Out of the 59 schools given the green light to participate in limited face-to-face classes, only one is from Aklan.

The Department of Education and the Department of Health identified 120 schools to participate in the pilot test which is set to begin on November 15.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said that it is possible to use alert levels as a basis for school opening.

The health official clarified, however, that schools should still pass the assessment of the DoH.

Another requirement is the concurrence of local government units.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, reiterated the need to vaccinate teachers and minors to mitigate the risk of infection when in-person learning resumes.