MANILA - Two more universities in Metro Manila have postponed the opening of classes  for the school year 2009-2010 as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the A(H1N1) virus.

University of Asia and the Pacific (UAP) and St. Paul University Manila followed the decisions of University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Far Eastern University (FEU) to defer the opening of classes after the confirmation of cases of infection of A(H1N1) virus involving students of De La Salle University in Manila.

The UAP, in a statement, announced that the opening of classes would be held on June 22 instead of the original June 10 schedule.

“Students and employees who recently went abroad for summer vacation are advised to go on self-quarantine for 10 days and to visit their personal doctors if influenza-like symptoms manifest within this period,” said the UAP.

The UAP clarified, however, that “at present, we have no reported case of Influenza A(H1N1) virus among our students and employees. The above measures are being taken as a precaution.”

It also said that some university activities have been adjusted. These are: 

• graduation rehearsal – postponed from June 8 to June 17;
• on-campus registration -- postponed from June 9 to June 19;
• Baccalaureate Mass -- postponed from June 11 to June 19;
• opening of the new academic year and mass of the Holy Spirit -- postponed from June 17 to June 24;
• university graduation -- postponed from June 13 to June 20.

St. Paul University Manila, in a separate statement, said that its president Wynna Marie A. Medina has announced the postponement of the opening of classes to June 16.

“The postponement has been decided upon to give the university a chance to set precautionary measures in place," it said.

St. Paul University said that enrolment in the university would continue, and that employees are expected to report for work.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Catholic church in the archdiocese of Manila, has also issued an order to prevent the spread of the A(H1N1) virus.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales has ordered that, for the meantime, communion would be received by the church’s faithful only by the hand, and that holding of hands during the praying of “Our Father” should not be conducted.

“This is to avoid further inadvertent spread of the virus,” said Fr. Genaro Diwa quoting a message from the archdiocese’s leadership.

UST, FEU defer opening

Advisories from the UST and FEU said they are deferring the opening of classes to June 15 and June 17, respectively, due to the A(H1N1) scare.

"As a precautionary measure against influenza A (H1N1) and in order to allow students, support staff, faculty members and administrators who arrived from travel abroad to voluntary quarantine, the University of Santo Tomas defers the opening of classes...," Father Isidro Abano, UST's secretary-general, said in the advisory.

Archbishop Miguel Carpio, vice-president for academic affairs of FEU, meanwhile, assured that the university is A(H1N1) free, "but FEU is taking the necessary preventive measures."

The Commission on Higher Education had set the opening of classes of colleges and universities on June 8.

The universities decided to defer the opening of classes after two Japanese students of the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Taft Avenue, Manila tested positive for the new influenza virus.

The DLSU-Manila suspended its classes for 10 days, which started Wednesday, after discovering its first confirmed A(H1N1) case. The 10-day suspension of classes will end June 14.

Four new cases

The Philippines has four new confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1), bringing the total cases in the country to 33, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said Friday.

One of the four new cases is a 17-year-old male student of the DLSU who may have been infected by the two Japanese students of DLSU.

The student does not have a history of travel to countries with confirmed cases of H1N1. He manifested symptoms on June 2 and consulted a doctor on June 3 in response to the health advisory of DLSU officials.

“The three DLSU cases are responding well to their treatments and do not even have fever anymore, including the latest case. Contact tracing though is still in progress,” Duque said.

The first case in DLSU, a 21-year-old female student, arrived in the Philippines on May 12. She reported flu-like symptoms on May 29 and was tested on May 31. Her positive result was reported June 3.