DOH to schools: Defer field trips, sport activities

MANILA, Philippines — Field trips and outdoor activities for students should be canceled in areas experiencing heat index under the extreme danger category, the Department of Health (DOH) advised education stakeholders yesterday.

In a department circular, the DOH said that if an area is placed under extreme danger category, meaning it is experiencing a heat index equal to or greater than 52 degrees Celsius, any organized outdoor or physically intensive activity should be called off.

“Modality shifts in schools and even in workplaces are highly recommended,” the health department said.

Modality shifts refer to alternative modes of learning and working in lieu of physical or onsite attendance.

For areas placed under the danger category (42 to 51 degrees Celsius), the DOH said that activities for unacclimatized individuals and those at high risk for heat illness, including vulnerable workers and elderly persons, should be restricted.

“Reschedule activities to a cooler time of the day and increase the number of rest periods, hydration breaks and frequency of substitutions during practice and competition,” it added.

In areas under extreme caution (33 to 41 degrees Celsius), rescheduling of activities is also recommended and the number or rest periods and hydration breaks should be increased.

For areas under the caution category (27 to 32 degrees Celsius), the DOH advised to keep activities restricted, but monitor participants for signs of heat illness.

“Exposure to high heat and extreme temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses, symptoms of which include dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, diarrhea and digestion disorders, infections, asthma and wheezing and other injuries,” the agency said.

It added that high and extreme heat might increase vulnerable workers’ susceptibility to injuries and illnesses.

“On days when temperatures are above 32 degrees Celsius, workers have a sixvpercent to ninevpercent higher risk of injury,” the DOH said.

When temperatures reach 37 degrees Celsius, the risk increases by 10 to 15 percent.

In addition, chronic heart and kidney diseases are more likely among workers who have had repeated exposure to strenuous work at high