Several bishops of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente said the government’s move to reopen schools in August is “a recipe for disaster.”
At least eight bishops of the South Central Luzon Bishops’ Conference of the church have already signed a petition urging authorities “to be pragmatic in its decision” to reopen schools.
The church leaders said letting students, parents, and teachers come to schools without mass testing is like “leading lambs to the slaughter.”
“It would be wise to see a pronounced and sustained decline in new cases before the government considers putting a date to school reopening,” read the bishops’ statement.
They said the “premature decision” to resume classes “can backfire sans a comprehensive and inclusive plan to end this public health crisis.”
The prelates urged the government to heed the call of the World Health Organization to conduct massive testing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
“We worry that (undetected) cases may cause greater outbreaks not only in schools but also in the places where students meet, even in their own homes and their neighborhood,” the statement read.
