The current reality of the Novel-Coronavirus (2019-nCOV) in making people very sick with some deaths already recorded prompts us to take this issue seriously. Various experts in health, public safety and the government have already issued bulletins and advisories in this regard. Asia Pacific College (APC) believes that we should follow all of these to make sure we are all safe.
For your reference, please visit the following websites:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
https://www.doh.gov.ph/health-advisories
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/how-coronavirus-spreads-on-a-plane/
http://immigration.gov.ph/images/News/2020_Yr/01_Jan/2020Jan28_Press.pdf
In addition to the bulletins and advisories of the government and health experts, APC is going the extra mile to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our entire community. We believe that the following important guidelines should remind us to look after your sons or daughters, our students, when they are out of school premises:
1. Electronic communication channels
We all have emails and Office365 apps (MS Teams and Skype). All school administrators, faculty and staff can be reached via our school landline (8852-9232). Please don’t hesitate to communicate with us anything related to this global health threat. There is no need to meet in person.
2. Self-quarantine
If your family recently traveled outside the country, particularly, if you travelled to, from or through China or Hong Kong, please consider self-quarantine if you observe any flu-like symptoms. Please ask for the email of your son’s or daughter’s Executive Director and send a message to inform the Executive Director of your decision to self-quarantine your child. With APC’s collaboration systems, your child can still be virtually attending classes and not miss a beat.
3. Before going to school
It is best to always check for cold, fever or any coughing. If your son or daughter has any of these, please consider not sending your child to school. To reiterate, kindly email your son’s or daughter’s Executive Director to inform him or her of your decision to not send your son or daughter to school on that day.
Equip your son or daughter with a small bottle of alcohol for disinfection and possibly a face mask for use during traveling.
Consider strengthening your children’s immune system with vitamin supplements from Watsons. There are pharmacists there who can make suggestions on what will increase your child’s immunity.
4. Inside the school
Remind your children to practice a higher degree of personal hygiene by washing hands frequently, avoiding people with colds and abstaining from street food for the meantime.
The school shall inform its faculty to keep its digital learning materials and resources constantly updated. This will be done so that everyone can continue working and studying in case anyone needs to be inaccessible at any time.
The safety and wellbeing of our students is our paramount concern. I trust that we can work together as a community to prevent, recognize symptoms and refer suspected or probable cases to competent medical institutions as suggested in the announcements of the Department of Health.
Thank you for your time and we do hope that your homes are all safe from any exposure to this unfortunate outbreak.
Be well everyone!
Tata P. Medado, PhD
