HEADER

COVID-19 CASE MANAGEMENT

1. The school has developed strategies to prevent COVID-19.

a. Conduct of hand hygiene and temperature checks using a thermal scanner prior to
entering the school
b. Prioritization of non-face-to-face communications and coordination through available
platforms and discouragement of entrance of school visitors and other external
stakeholders
c. Conduct of daily rapid health checks in the classroom
d. Conduct of necessary disinfection activities especially in the areas of the school
frequented by personnel or learners that tested positive
e. Availability of surgical face masks and school clinic for further assessment of anyone
who will show symptoms of COVID-19
f. Establishment/setting-up/refurbishment of a school clinic to provide basic health
services to all school-goers, such as:
o Health assessment and physical examination, as needed
o Appropriate intervention, first aid, or treatment
o Proper management of symptoms, including rest at home
o Referral and follow-up of learners, teachers, and personnel to appropriate facilities
g. Designation of private screening area at the entrance where school- goers who show
symptoms upon screening can be further examined, or referred
h. Designation of separate space where sick school-goers who have been managed in
the clinic can temporarily stay, awaiting referral to the appropriate health facility, without
creating stigma
i. Designation of clinic teachers(s) in absence of school health personnel, who shall
provide basic health services and facilitate referral in coordination with the school health
personnel at SDO, in absence of school-based health personnel
j. Orientation to the clinic teacher by the school health personnel at the SDO for proper
guidance on how to effectively run the school clinic
k. Reiteration of protocols for learners, teachers, and personnel who manifest COVID-
19 symptoms to not physically report to school and
seek medical advice virtually if possible
l. Record of students’ health status and development, including immunization checks to
prevent outbreak-prone vaccine-preventable disease (e.g., measles)

2. The school has identified strategies to detect COVID-19.

a. Cooperation with the local health authorities in the tracing and quarantine of close
contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 consistent with DOH guidelines
b. Presence of the School DRRM Team who shall ensure that contact tracing activities,
as required by the local health authorities, are initiated, and completed among the
possible close contacts among DepEd personnel and learners
c. Close coordination with Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (ESU) officers per setting
o DOH Regional ESU of reporting school
o LGU City ESU/Provincial ESU/Municipal ESU of reporting
school
o DOH Regional ESU of identified case (place of residence)
o LGU City ESU/Provincial ESU/Municipal ESU of identified
case (place of residence)

d. Development of a reporting system requiring parents to report to the school if their

children are experiencing flu-like system, recommendation of testing to be done
immediately with support and guidance from the LGUs

e. Provision of health form to parents/guardians at the beginning of each school term

confirming their child and/or family members do not have COVID-19 before being
permitted to go to school to be submitted 24 to 72 hours prior to the start of school
opening

3. The school has developed strategies to isolate and treat COVID-19.

a. Designation of rooms for isolation of students and personnel with fever and flu-like
symptoms near the entrances
b. Availability of transport vehicles from school to Temporary Treatment and Monitoring
Facility (TTMF)
c. Notification of family member/guardians of the learner, or family member of school
personnel who show flu-like symptoms
d. Immediate isolation and referral of the personnel/s or learner/s who show COVID-19
symptoms based on the severity for proper management and appropriate testing
e. Provision of necessary emergency care to the personnel or learner following
precautionary measures, by the health personnel or designated clinic teacher
f. Referral/full disclosure of the case to the identified health authority (e.g., barangay
health station, rural health unit) for further evaluation or referral to a hospital if needed
g. Strict observance of advice from health authorities including possibility of home
quarantine or isolation in a quarantine facility or confinement
h. Report of the close follow-up of the attending/assigned school health personnel or
designated clinic teacher with the condition of the identified learner/personnel to the
SDO School health and Nutrition Unit/Section, as required by existing reporting
mechanisms
i. Strict compliance of learners and personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19 to
not return to school without clearance from medical authorities
j. Monitoring and provision of necessary support of the School Head (SH) to all cases
(close contacts, suspect, probable, confirmed)
k. Coordination of SH to all cases with DepEd school health personnel and local health
authorities
l. Coordination of SH with the SDO in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning in line
with the school’s contingency plan
m. Strict observance of provision of Section IV.A (Screening of Returning Personnel and
Learners and Testing Protocol) of the Specific Measures for COVID-19 Prevention and
Mitigation in Schools (Enclosure No. 2 to DepEd Order No. 014, s. 2020) before the
participation of COVID-19 infected learners or personnel in the face-to-face classes

4. The school has developed strategies in providing psychosocial support to the

learners, teachers, and personnel.
a. Allotment of time and preparation of modules on Mental Health to be facilitated by
their respective classroom advisers or designated teachers
b. Designation of trained teachers who will facilitate activities fostering Mental Health
such as mental health topics, nature of COVID-19, and preventive measures (WASH,
physical distancing, etc.)

c. Setting up of an operational Guidance Office that is staffed by a registered guidance

counselor (RGC) or a designated guidance associate (not an RGC but is trained on
MHPSS and is capable of effective referral) every school day, to provide basic mental
health services to learners, teachers, and personnel who may need such services
d. Availability of a hotline/online platform in the SDOs to provide counseling services to
learners, teachers, and personnel who require counseling services, in absence of an
RGC
e. Provision of specialized psychosocial support to learners, teachers and personnel
who are confirmed to be positive, under isolation/ quarantine, and categorized as
suspect and probable, through the Guidance Office using the DRRMS MHPSS
materials as reference
f. Establishment and contextualization of the inter-sectoral referral pathways to ensure
that psychosocial needs of both the personnel and the learners are provided
g. Engagement of parents, guardians, or any care providers of learners on taking care
of mental health and creating a positive environment
h. Coordination of mechanisms to ensure that the mental health and the basic needs of
learners and personnel with pre-existing mental health conditions and special needs
including neurologic and substance abuse disorders such as medications and other key
services are provided
i. Strict adherence to Republic Act No.10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 in the
provision of mental health services and referral
j. Promotion of “school-life balance” through proper scheduling of schoolwork that will
allow learners to enjoy quality time at home
k. Mobilization of trained Psychological First Aid (PFA) providers of the schools to
provide necessary mental health and psychosocial support to concerned personnel or
learners
 REFERRAL & CONTACT TRACING PROCEDURE
FOR SUSPECTED AND COVID 19 CASES
REFERRAL PROCEDURE
To assist in early detection and eventual referral of possible COVID-19 cases, all
school heads shall ensure the continued operationalization of PreventivE Alert System
in Schools (PASS) of COVID-19 per DM No. 15, series 2020. The PASS involves a
systematic reporting of one’s state of health to the appropriate personnel and/ or
agencies in the localities.

A. Symptomatic teachers, learners, and personnel shall be evaluated by the

school / office health personnel or referred to the nearest barangay, municipal or
health center for evaluation or referral to a hospital, if needed.
B. Bring the suspected learners, teachers or personnel to the isolation room to
ensure the health and safety of everyone within the premises as well as to avoid
further transmission.
C. The school / office, through its clinic shall ensure its provisions of referral
services and follow up of learners, teachers and personnel to the appropriate
health facilities.

CONTACT TRACING PROCEDURE

Pursuant to the DOH Guidelines on Contact Tracing of Close Contact of
confirmed CoronaVirus Disease (COVID-19) Cases (DOH Department
Memorandum No. 2020 -0189), contact tracing shall serve as one of the main public
health interventions for COVID-19 response aimed at interrupting ongoing
transmission and reducing the spread of infection.
DepEd shall cooperate with the relevant local health authorities, local
government units, or applicable inert-agency groups following the process below:
a. Identify settings where the contacts have visited or social interactions where
the contacts have been exposed;
b. Identify all social, familial, work or health care worker contacts who have had
contact with a confirmed case of 2 days before symptom onset of the case
(use date of sample collection of asymptomatic cases as basis) until the time
that the said case tests negative on laboratory confirmation;
c. Create a line list, including demographic information at barangay and sitio
levels, date of first and last exposure or date of contact with the confirmed or
probable case, and, for symptomatic close contacts, date of onset or fever,
respiratory symptoms or other significant signs and symptoms; and
d. Thoroughly document the common exposures and type of contact with the
confirmed or probable case for any contact who become infected with
COVID-19.

REFERRAL PROCEDURE CHART

CONTACT TRACING PROCEDURE CHART