UST officials have decided to move the opening of classes by a week to
Monday, June 15 as part of precautionary measures amid the spread of
the influenza A(H1N1) virus.
In a memorandum dated June 4, Secretary-General Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P.
also suspended until June 14 elementary and high school classes which
had begun earlier, and adjusted the academic calendar – with the end
of the first semester moved to Wednesday, October 22.
This was to allow students, support staff, faculty members, and
administrators “who have arrived from travel abroad to go on voluntary
quarantine.”
Abaño said “regular office hours” would be observed from June 6 to 14
but no transactions would be entertained. Those who have yet to enroll
will be allowed to do so from June 15 to 20, without penalties.
“All activities of students and faculty members within the University
premises from June 6 to June 14 must be cancelled or deferred to
another date,” he said.
Health service staff will be stationed at all building lobbies when
classes open “to assist” everyone “with regard to their health
concern.” He advised everyone to bring drinking water since all
drinking fountains would be shut off.
All students, support staff, faculty members, and administrators who
have arrived from travel abroad from June 1 were told to list with the
Health Service or call 731-4311 or 0927-6771346.
The move came after an exchange student at De La Salle University was
found positive for the virus, forcing the Taft Avenue campus to shut
down for 10 days until June 14. Two more La Salle students also tested
positive later.
The Ateneo de Manila has also decided to move a number of school
opening activities.
As of June 5, 33 cases of the A(H1N1) virus have been confirmed in the
Philippines, out of more than 400 cases observed by the Health
department.
The UST Central Student Council (CSC) meanwhile denied that it had
spread a text message announcing that a male Commerce student is UST’s
first A(H1N1) case. “There is no … confirmed case. (The text message)
did not originate from your CSC,” a text “advisory” from the student
council said.
Four new cases confirmed by the Health department on June 5 included
the third La Salle student found positive with the virus and three
other individuals who had arrived from the United States.
