SCHOOLSIMPOSES PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19

To ensure the safety of children and school personnel while in school, several actions and requirements should be put in place to prevent the recurrence and spread of COVID-19 in school and into the communities. The school authorities must issue special measures and provisions for early childhood development, higher learning institutions, residential schools, or specialized institutions. The schools and the communities should carry out early detection, testing, contact tracing, and quarantine of contacts; investigate clusters; ensure physical distancing, hand and hygiene practices, and age-appropriate mask use; shield vulnerable groups. It also plays an important role in reducing the risk of infection the community-led initiatives such as addressing misleading rumors. Officials should ensure the necessary resources, policies, and infrastructure, are in place that protects the health and safety of all school personnel, including people at higher risk. They should consider the age and capacity of students to understand and respect the measures put in place. Students may find it more difficult to adhere to physical distancing or the appropriate use of masks. Teachers should retain the implementation of physical distancing of at least one meter between individuals including spacing of desks, frequent hand and respiratory hygiene, age-appropriate mask use, ventilation, and environmental cleaning measures should be in place to limit exposure. Schools should develop a schedule for daily cleaning and disinfection of the school premises and educate the personnel and students on COVID-19 prevention measures. They should also strictly enforce the policy of staying home if unwell, waive the requirement for a doctor’s note, create a checklist for parents, teachers, and students to decide whether to go to school and take into consideration the situation in their respective localities and ensure students who have been in contact with a COVID-19 case stay home for 14 days, and consider options for screening on arrival.

The author is Teacher II at Pasig Elementary School in the Municipalityof Candaba, Pampanga.