Albay suspends classes for rest of week amid surging dengue cases

LEGAZPI CITY — Albay suspended classes in public and private schools this week as health authorities stepped up efforts to contain a surge in dengue cases, which prompted the province to declare a state of calamity.

Gov. Noel Rosal ordered the suspension to give schools and local governments time to conduct cleanup drives and implement other anti-dengue measures. As of September 10, the dengue case tally was 1,785, with 14 deaths recorded from January 1 to September 8.

Public elementary and secondary schools remained closed Monday and Tuesday for the scheduled wellness break, followed by a provincewide class suspension from Wednesday to Friday (September 16-18).

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READ: Albay under state of calamity as dengue cases hit 1,785

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Private elementary and secondary schools will suspend classes on Thursday and Friday.

Universities and colleges will also suspend in-person classes on Thursday and Friday and shift to alternative learning modalities, following consultations with the Commission on Higher Education.

The suspension is intended to allow schools and local governments to sanitize campuses and surrounding areas, inspect potential mosquito-breeding sites, and carry out other dengue prevention and control measures.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) is also intensifying disease surveillance, vector control, and cleanup operations, along with information campaigns to prevent further increases in dengue cases.

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“We formed the caravan team to provide technical assistance in areas where there are high cases,” said Dr. Karl Hegel Ante, officer in charge of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), in a phone interview with the Inquirer on Sunday.

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The provincial government has also activated a dengue fast lane to expedite the assessment and treatment of patients suspected of having the disease.

‘4 o’clock habit’

Sanitation consultant Engr. William Sabater urged residents to clean daily, particularly by scrubbing water containers and removing stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed.

“We are emphasizing the 4 o’clock habit. Everyone should check and clean their backyards every day so that larvae, or kiti-kiti, won’t thrive,” Sabater said.

The PHO has also coordinated with private hospitals in preparation for a possible increase in dengue patients and a shortage of beds in government hospitals.

READ: Dengue cases hit 200 in Naga City; state of calamity declared

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“For now, the situation is still manageable but overwhelming. The PHO is making an inventory of bed capacity and will make use of available resources to address the problem,” said Engr. Jose Alfonso Barizo, spokesperson for the Incident Management Team./coa