Fear of possible A1H1N1 in Mindoro
Calapan City declared in a ‘state of calamity;’
all classes in elementary, high school suspended
By JUANCHO R. MAHUSAY
CALAPAN CITY – Classes in all public and private elementary and high school here have been declared suspended starting yesterday (July 23) until August 3, or 10 days, as Calapan Mayor Salvador Leachon placed this whole city under a “state of calamity” following the declaration of AH1N1 virus outbreak in this capital area of Oriental Mindoro by the both the Department of Health and the Department of Education.
In a public advisory sent out yesterday by the city government, Mayor Leachon stated that in placing Calapan under a state of calamity after many students in two biggest public elementary and high school here were tested positive for the said influenza virus two days earlier, the DepEd has authorized him to closed down all elementary and high schools within the city for 10 days.
"All public high school and elementary in the city will have no classes for 10 days starting tomorrow (July 23) due to A(H1N1) outbreak," Leachon also stated in another advisory sent to media men.
The mayor has confirmed that this city already has 400 confirmed cases of the new influenza. "Parents are advised strictly to compel their children to stay at home for self-quarantine... We declare the city under a state of calamity," the mayor added in the advisory.
Leachon initially ordered a 9-day suspension of classes at the Managpi Elementary School here after 132 of its pupils were found to have flu-like symptoms. The mayor said 5 of the 132 pupils, who were randomly checked for flu, tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) virus.
An almost panic situation happened at the two biggest public schools here Wednesday (July 22) after more than 600 combined were discovered by health authorities here to have been stricken by either flu or cough.
Some 300 of the more than 5,000 students at the Jose J. Leido Jr. National Memorial High School (JJLJNMHS), the biggest secondary school in Oriental Mindoro, were tested to have shown flu-like symptoms and more than 15 pupils were declared positive for the said influenza virus.
Meanwhile at the other biggest school here, Adriatico Memorial School (AMS) which so far the largest primary educational institution by population in the whole province, eight elementary students were found positive of AH1N1 virus.
The president of Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) there, Federico Cabailo Jr., claimed in an advisory that almost 80% of AMS students were tested to have flu-like symptoms.
The DOH here have also advised parents of affected students here to have their children on self-quarantine, continue hand washing before eating, conduct proper coughing and social distancing.
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