Official Statement of DepEd on the COVID-19 Positive DepEd Employees from Zambales

From the News:

The total number of infected DepEd Zambales employees has risen to 28

The outbreak was initially traced to their co-worker and speaker at the seminar.

The said seminar conducted in the province has resulted in at least 28 DepEd Zambales employees contracting the disease. The seminars conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Zambales which were attended by school principals and head teachers from March 1-6, 2021 and March 8-12, 2021 in two separate beach resorts in the Municipality of Iba, Province of Zambales in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁

March 24, 2021 – The Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office would like to clarify that it had no prior approval of any face-to-face activities related to In-Service Training (INSET) and other seminars for teachers. The Department strictly adheres to the guidelines and required health protocols on work and office arrangements set by the IATF, the Department of Health (DOH), and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). 

In this line, we are investigating the alleged transmission and exposure of personnel of SDO Zambales to COVID-19 during a division-initiated training last March 2-6, 2021. Appropriate disciplinary actions for authorities who breached protocols will be taken once the investigation is finalized.

Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring our teachers who were unfortunately exposed to the virus. We have also coordinated with the concerned field offices to provide medical assistance and psychosocial support for them. 

We enjoin our field offices to exercise prudence and observe existing alternative work arrangements and protocols of CSC and DepEd, including prohibiting large physical gatherings, to avoid similar incidents. In our continuous fight against the threat of COVID-19, we should remain vigilant in our actions to protect our learners, teachers, and loved ones.