In a circular sent to all schools, it explained a set of measures that schools, and educational institutions must give priority to.
It is obligatory to wear masks for all students from first grade and above, as well as teachers, staff, and all visitors and maintain a distance of at least one metre between each other.
Teachers, workers and students who are eligible but not yet taken the Covid-19 vaccine must do a weekly Rapid Antigen Test to prove they are free of the disease.
Good ventilation should be provided in classrooms and halls by opening windows.
Ensure sterilisation of hands and disinfect surfaces.
Students and staff who show symptoms of respiratory infection should not be allowed to enter the school or classroom.
The circular has clarified the definition of direct contact between students: it is the contact of a student with a positive case in the same class / group, or with a teacher / employee, starting from two days before the onset of symptoms of illness or infection to 10 days after the appearance of symptoms or the test result.
Among the measures that must be taken when a Covid-19 case is detected in the school are the following: All unvaccinated students who have been identified as direct contact with the positive case are placed under quarantine for seven days.
A swab will be taken from contacts of the students according to the recommendations of the tracking and tracing team in the MoPH within one to two days.
Swabbing is to be repeated on the sixth day.
All students who have been vaccinated or who have been previously infected and identified as direct contact with the positive case will also be tested, but without quarantine (documented evidence of vaccination or previous infection must be provided).If the case is reactive: all non-vaccinated students who have been identified as direct contact with the case are isolated for seven days.
The swab will be taken for the contacts according to the protocol of the tracking and tracing team at the MoPH within one to two days without the need for a re-examination.
All students who are vaccinated or infected during the past nine months and identified as direct contact with the positive case will also be examined, but without quarantine (documented evidence of vaccination or previous infection must be provided).With regard to direct contact between teachers and staff, the document specifies a number of measures that must be taken when a Covid-19 case is detected in the school: All unvaccinated teachers and employees identified as direct contact with the positive case are isolated for 14 days.
The swab will be taken from contacts according to the protocol of the tracking and tracing team at the MoPH within one to two days.
All vaccinated teachers and employees or those infected during the past nine months and identified as direct contact with the positive case will also be examined, but without quarantine (documented evidence of vaccination or previous infection must be provided). If the case is reactive, then all teachers and non-vaccinated employees who were identified as direct contact with the case are isolated for a period of seven days, and the swab will be taken for the contacts according to the protocol of the tracking and tracing team at the MoPH within one to two days.
All vaccinated teachers and staff or infected within the past nine months and identified as direct contact with the case will also be examined, but without quarantine (documented evidence of vaccination or previous infection must be provided)
In schools where Covid-19 cases are prevalent, the MoEHE, in consultation with the MoPH, will decide on the proposed additional action based on the current circumstances, and consider suspending classes for a week, as needed.