The Department of Health (DOH) assured parents that safeguards would be in place should the Department of Education (DepEd) identify schools in Metro Manila for the pilot of face-to-face classes.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario said in a Laging Handa briefing on Saturday the DOH will ensure that no student will get sick.

“If there is, it would be very minimal. There’s no need for parents to worry about it,” she said.

In-person classes are technically allowed in areas under the less strict Alert Level 2 classification, which Metro Manila is currently in.

Apart from safety measures, Vergeire said schools must undergo a strict assessment to evaluate their readiness before they get selected.

The Philippine government has so far allowed the pilot resumption of physical classes in 100 public and 20 private schools in low-risk areas, all of which are outside Metro Manila, starting Monday, November 15.

The selected schools were thoroughly evaluated by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau and identified as minimal or low risk, based on the Alert Levels.

The DepEd received appeals from local government units, including the National Capital Region, to have their schools included. (PNA)