By Ellalyn De Vera-RuizÂ
Due to the sudden increase of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), the school's health service (UPHS) in Quezon City will be temporarily closed from June 29 to July 2 to give way for the disinfection of the premises.
The UP on Friday had a total of 16 positive cases of COVID-19. They include health, laboratory and security personnel who were assigned at the UPHS and Kanlungang Palma (KP).
Athough the UPHS will be closed, its telemedicine services will continue. UP encouraged individuals to get a doctor's appointment at www.uphs.appointlet.com.
For emergency cases, the following numbers are available: June 29 - 09165408552; June 30 - 09615408561; July 1 - 09165408552; and July 2 - 09615408561.
Meanwhile, the KP will remain open and its swabbing operation continues. The Kanlungan can be reached at 0289818500 local 2492.
The UPD said that scheduled flu vaccinations will resume at No. 61 Apacible St., from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The UPHS Public Health can be reached at 09479281427.
"This is a pressing issue for UP Diliman, and I would like to assure the community that we are implementing stricter infection control measures to contain the outbreak and stabilize these facilities," UPD Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo said.
"As part of these control measures, disinfection, review of safety protocols, and testing of staff are now being undertaken," he added.
In the past months, the university implemented guidelines, mechanisms, and committees to increase its pandemic preparedness.
"We also kept the campus closed to the public and maintained only essential personnel. Until last week, we thought that we were steps ahead of the COVID-19 threat. But some of our social and cultural behavior and everyday practices have led to lapses in pandemic protocols, making us vulnerable to the threat posed by the virus. This latest spread in Diliman serves as a reminder to everyone that we cannot let our guard down," Nemenzo said.
He asked everyone to exercise caution when sharing any information from unofficial social media platforms that may be false or cause panic within the UP community.
He encouraged checking only the university website and other official UP Diliman platforms for any update or advisory.