The local government unit (LGU) of Estancia in Iloilo province has required the wearing of face masks in public places after nine students tested positive for COVID-19 in rapid antigen tests.

Mayor Mary Lynn Mosqueda said face mask use is one of the effective measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Forty-two Grade 8 students of Estancia National High School (ENHS) underwent rapid antigen testing and nine of them were found positive, according to Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon, Provincial Health Office (PHO) head.

“They (infected students) were isolated and placed in a quarantine facility at the LGU. All the others were brought home and monitored for any onset of any signs and symptoms of COVID,” she said.

Face-to-face classes were immediately suspended and ENHS shifted to the alternative delivery mode of learning from June 7-9.

“It is already automatic. Every time that we have the suspension of in-person classes, our school heads and teachers have been instructed to be always ready to implement the alternative delivery mode,” Leonil Salvilla, Schools Division Office of Iloilo spokesperson, said in a report by the Philippine News Agency.

Based on the June 10 bulletin issued by the Department of Health (DOH-6), the province has 1,751 active cases of COVID-19, the highest in the whole Western Visayas region.IMT