Institutional Bulletin

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Special Bulletin

Safety Measures and Reminders Bulletin No. 5

March 10, 2020

Following the announcement of the Department of Health (DOH) of 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country—nine of which were verified as having been locally transmitted—and the declaration of President Duterte of a state of public health emergency due to the viral outbreak, De La Salle Araneta University continues to

intensify its efforts to prevent the spread of the disease within its community.

Aside from continued temperature scanning at main entrances, provision of 70% alcohol spray solution at entrances and service-oriented units, and the daily disinfection and regular sanitation of classrooms, common spaces, and frequently-touched objects and surfaces, the university encourages everyone to continue adopting measures to protect themselves from the virus and to be mindful of their health and hygiene-related behaviors in order to help mitigate the spread of the disease.

The touching of the face, particularly of the nose, mouth, and eyes, should be avoided. Proper coughing and sneezing etiquette should be observed at all times. Personal provisioning of face masks and portable hygiene kits (eg hand sanitizers, tissues/wipes) is highly encouraged. More importantly, proper hand washing with either soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap is unavailable is strongly advised.

As the number of confirmed cases continue to rise, with estimates of 100 000 worldwide, all community members are also requested to fully disclose their travel plans and to refrain from going to non-essential trips to countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19. In addition, individuals coming from countries with confirmed cases are asked to observe the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine procedure upon return.

In the same manner, all in-campus activities shall be evaluated on a case-to-case basis by the Crisis Management Committee, and recommendations on their cancellations shall be made vis-à-vis recent developments regarding this evolving health emergency.

As we closely coordinate with local and national government and private health agencies, we also regularly monitor the situation for guidance and further announcements until the situation normalizes. To this end, special bulletins informing the community of any change in our health and safety protocols will be released regularly.

Everyone is also enjoined to monitor our official Facebook page (@DLSAranetaU), official Twitter handle

(@OfficialDLSAU), and other government agencies (Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and Department of Health).

For inquiries and other concerns, contact Dr. Buena Hebron of our Medical and Dental Unit at buena.hebron@dlsau.edu.ph and 8330 9128 to 30 loc 2102.

As one community, let us commit to ensuring that De La Salle Araneta University remains COVID-19 free.

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Chancellor

Mr. Christopher N. Polanco

References:

Coronavirus cases in the Philippines jump to 24

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/9/Philippines-new-coronavirus-cases.html

Mandatory quarantine to be enforced with public health emergency due to coronavirus – DOH https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/9/Mandatory-quarantine-public-health-emergency.html COVID-19: ‘Sombre moment’ as cases top 100,000 worldwide

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1058941 Handwashing: Clean Hands Saves Lives https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html Hand Hygiene: Why, How, and When?

https://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Hand_Hygiene_Why_How_and_When_Brochure.pdf