MANILA - Local government units need to meet a certain criteria before they could use schools in their areas as quarantine sites for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Education said Friday as it issued a set of guidelines.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in a memorandum issued Thursday but made public Friday, said the use of schools as COVID-19 quarantine areas must be subject to the approval of DepEd officials in the locality, and in adherence to the guidelines set by the Department of Health.

“DepEd is committed to render full assistance and cooperation, and to mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat,” Briones said in the memorandum.

Approving requests of LGUs to use schools for quarantine purposes will be up to DepEd regional directors, Briones said based on evaluation of the request by the schools division superintendent.

The following guidelines were issued by DepEd for LGUs planning to use schools as quarantine sites:

- The LGU must state in its request the specific intended purpose or use for the school and identify the particular facility in the school that it would use as well as the duration.

- The LGU must show that all other facilities have been duly assessed and were found to be inadequate. Schools can be recommended only when no other facilities are available.

- The LGU must present an assessment by the municipal, city, or provincial health officer that the facility within the school is suitable for quarantine purposes.

- The LGU must present the planned management of the school facility which would be supervised by a health officer. The plan must conform to existing DOH standards and guidelines.

- The LGU must safeguard facilities in the school. It should also shoulder the payment for utilities it would use, general cleaning and fumigation, repair or replacement of damaged school facilities incurred for the duration of use, as well as payment of expenses incurred while using the facility.

“All DepEd personnel involved in the preparation of the school premises shall strictly observe all existing health precautions and social distancing protocols of DepEd,” Briones said.

The education chief said LGUs must sign a contract for the use of schools provided by the DepEd regional director and required them to monitor schools used as quarantine facilities.

As of Thursday, the Philippines has reported a total of 707 COVID-19 cases with 45 deaths, and 28 recoveries.