'New Lessons' in tackling COVID-19 in schools and homes: UNICEF

A new national media campaign is asking children and parents to follow seven new and essential lessons to limit the risk and spread of COVID-19, as schools reopen across Sri Lanka following months of closure.

The move comes as the Government plans to resume classes for all students early next month.

Launched by the Education Ministry, the Health Ministry's Health Promotion Bureau and Indigenous Medical Services and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the national campaign titled ‘COVID-19: New Lessons in the New Term’ engages children, parents and caregivers with information to manage the risk of COVID-19 and eliminate the stigma faced by individuals impacted by the illness, by encouraging them to undertake key actions before, during, and after school. The campaign advises children and adults to always keep at least one-meter distance, frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after engaging in any activity, using a face mask when outside the classroom, sneezing or coughing into a bent elbow or tissue, and disposing tissues properly.

The new campaign features two TV advertisements, in- class posters, stickers for school buses, sign boards at the entrance to schools and radio advertisements in national languages.

“We congratulate Sri Lanka for its effective response to COVID-19, which has placed it in the impressive position of being among the first countries in South Asia to open schools and bring children back in a safe way” said UNICEF Sri Lanka Representative Tim Sutton.

“I’m delighted the United States is helping to ensure the well-being of young Sri Lankans,” said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz.

“As students return to school, the United States is working to eliminate the risks associated with COVID-19 by educating communities on good health practices. Everyone deserves a safe learning environment," she said. The initiative was funded by the US, through its Government development agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The ‘COVID-19: New Lessons in the New Term’ campaign was the latest phase in UNICEF’s ongoing support to our Government in response to COVID-19.