Direct contact of Tabuk City DepEd visitor found positive; 'Not time to panic' - SDS Angway

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Tabuk City National High School remains on lockdown and distribution of modules will be on hold after one of the direct contacts of the Covid-19 positive case on January 4 which visited Tabuk City DepEd and TCNHS, turned out positive of the virus.

According to an inside source, upon getting the results of the swab tests of the close contacts of the positive case, they immediately cordoned the school to prevent entry to the area. Also, since the news sparked panic, stress debriefing was conducted.

Moreover, contact tracing was done and those traced as direct contacts of the new positive case are to be assessed if they qualify for swabbing.

Narrative of the patient who visited DepEd Tabuk and TCNHS

In a message provided by a source, it said the patient attended the wake of her brother in Itogon, Benguet last Dec 21,2020 and came back to Tabuk Jan 3,2021 through a passenger van together with five relatives using Baguio-Bontoc-Kalinga road.

When they arrived, they went straight to her boarding house at Florendo St., Bulanao Norte.

In the report, it stated that the patient on Jan 04.2021 went to TCNHS with face mask and face shield, attending the flag raising ceremony.

After the ceremony, she had a short conversation with her colleagues, went to the admin, then to the Division Office to sign some documents. On that day the patient and other 5 were brought to TCNHS quarantine facility where they were swabbed for Covid-19 testing.

When the result came, it showed the patient positive for COVID-19. However, the other five were negative although they were subjected for re-swabbing.

Eight teachers who were close contacts of patient were immediately isolated and subjected for swab testing immediately after the result of patient was known.

‘Not time to Panic’ – SDS Angway

Meantime, Tabuk City Schools Division Superintendent, Dr. Irene Angway encouraged the personnel of DepEd not to panic, “please this is not a time to panic, this is a time to be more logical... Let us not panic but instead look at what the most logical thing to do considering this situation.”

Since the distribution of modules is on hold at TCNHS, she said that remote learning will be used for the time being.

“In the meantime, for them to maximize the use of technology, remote learning talaga para makapapagpatuloy pa rin yung pag aaral ng mga bata. But for those who do not have any access on the internet, they can still wait for the modules which they will distribute sooner,” she said.

Angway added that learners should also continue tuning in to Radyo Pilipinas every 2 – 4:00 in the afternoon as well as on channel 13, “hanapin po ang mga yon para at least patuloy pa rin ang pag aaral natin.”

DepEd Division Office to resume operation Monday

The Tabuk City Schools Division Office shall resume operation on Monday, January 11 except for the personnel section, according to Angway.

“For our operation, they can already lift the lockdown for us here at the Division office. As of now, I am asking our regional director for approval of our intial plan to have the onsite reporting on Monday except for the Personnel section,” she said.

The personnel section shall still work from home.

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