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It's back to school for 10,000 students of the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) more than a week after school officials suspended classes following confirmation that several nautical students contracted the H1N1 virus.
And it’s business as usual for eatery owners like 54-year-old Lerma Tampus, who said she would avoid being infected by the swine flu virus by keeping a bottle of alcohol on hand to clean her hands.
Several UCLM students trooped to Tampus’ eatery while others either flocked to Internet cafes for research and games or loitered along the sidewalks talking with classmates in front of the UCLM main gate.
Most of them, like second year Marine Transportation student John Branzuela aren't worried about the status of the nautical students confined in the UCLM dormitory.
“Our teachers said it's back to normal. We were assured that there is no virus,” he said in Cebuano.
That was also the message Augusto Go, UC owner and president, wanted to deliver to UCLM students upon yesterday’s resumption of classes.
He said there were no other reports of infection.
Go earlier told that their school was already cleared by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III who said all swine flu cases should be treated as ordinary flu.
“Just because we have some positive of the virus, I have to stop all the classes. We are already cleared by no less than Secretary Duque who already made a statement of that,” Go said.
Go, however, reminded students to wash their hands with alcohol before entering the school campus.
Dr. Susana Madarieta, regional director of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said personnel were tasked to monitor the school on a regular basis.
Only nine of the 18 nautical students who tested positive remained at the isolation room since they had yet to finish their medication. The rest had gone back to their classes.
Rudy Aviles, UCLM dean, said medical teams were at the entrance gates to test students of their temperature.
Advisories and information about the virus were posted in all UC campuses.
Those with flu-like symptoms will be tested and sent home, Aviles said.
If the students test positive, they will undergo home quarantine, he added.
Go also chided the local media for what he described as “sensationalized reporting” on the H1N1 issue.
He cited a newspaper report about a bishop's statement suggesting the suspension of masses due to the spreading swine flu virus.
“Local tourism is in trouble. You can read the newspaper nga gisugyot nga way misa (which reported that there should be no masses)…It is something that we should not be doing because there are other things that more important than this influenza,” he said. /With reports from Correspondents Chris Ligan and Jhunnex Napallacan
