MANILA - The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) has also rescheduled the opening of classes on June 8 due to the influenza A(H1N1) virus, school officials announced Saturday.

In a text message to abs-cbnNEWS.com, a university professor said PUP is moving the opening of its classes from June 8 to June 15. He said the advisory came from a college dean.

The professor said the deferment of the school opening is a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus in the school's campuses. All university personnel have been advised, also through text messaging, about the deferment, the professor added.

The PUP is the sixth school to reschedule the opening of classes due to the new influenza virus, which has infected three students of the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila.

The five schools were the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Far Eastern University (FEU), St. Paul University-Manila, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) and the University of the Philippines-Manila (UP).

An advisory from UST said the decision to defer the opening of classes was a "precautionary measure against A(H1N1) and in order to allow students, support staff, faculty members and administrators who arrived from travel abroad to voluntary quarantine." It moved its class opening form June 8 to June 15.

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 university will open classes on June 17.

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.”

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.

Church flu guideline

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.