THE Supreme Court (SC) said a little over one percent of Bar examinees have tested positive for COVID-19.
Based on the high court’s COVID-19 protocols for the Bar exams, examinees should undergo antigen or RT-PCR testing.
Examinees may opt to take the SC-administered antigen test or through private or Department of Health (DOH)-accredited testing centers.
Supreme Court Associate Justice and Bar Chairperson Marvic Leonen said 8,461 examinees underwent the SC-administered antigen testing.
From that number, only 1.36 percent or 115 examinees turned out to be COVID-19-positive.
There were also examinees who took the COVID-19 test using private testing centers that tested positive.
However, Leonen clarified that there were COVID-positive individuals who were allowed to take the exams.
These are those who tested positive but have already recovered or are recovering so it is not true that those who tested positive will not be allowed to take the Bar exams.
At present, the SC has no data yet on the actual number of examinees who tested positive with the disease that were not allowed to enter the local testing sites.
Likewise, Leonen asked for understanding from Bar applicants who reviewed for two years but failed to take the exam because they contracted the virus.
He pointed out that the high court cannot violate the law and guidelines being implemented by the government.
He added that the proposal to have a separate isolation room for COVID positives will not be possible because based on DOH protocols, those who turned out positive should be isolated for seven days in a separate area and not on the premises of examination sites.