Educational sector re-activates COVID-19 preventive system

Students in Hanoi have their body temperature checked before entering campus (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Departments of Education and Training nationwide on January 29 sent urgent dispatches requesting schools to re-activate their COVID-19 prevention and control system.

Pursuant to Directive No.05/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister, Directive No. 79/CT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training on urgent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City sent a dispatch to educational establishments in the city, asking them to apply a range of measures to ensure safety in schools.

The department also required relevant units to bolster inspection of the implementation of preventive measures, impose strict punishments on violators and chastise the heads of responsible units in case of violation.

Schools must take students’ body temperature before classes start, have students wear masks outside classroom and all students, school staff as well as guests  regularly wash their hands with soap and sanitisers.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training Le Hong Son said that all extra-curriculum activities must be put on hold since January 30 until further notice.

Regarding activities of large gathering, schools must strictly follow the Health Ministry’s requirements and guidelines, as well as the 5K message of khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration).

Meanwhile, in Hanoi, the Department of Education and Training required all school staffers and students to wear masks on their way between home and school. They were also encouraged to install Bluezone app to receive warnings of COVID-19 infections and make health declaration.

Students are encouraged to wear face masks during classes (Photo: VNA)

In the north central province of Nghe An, although it has not reported any cases, schools have checked existing infrastructure, such as faucets for hand washing, medical supplies, soaps and disinfectants, among others.

Regular cleanups are also organised in classrooms and campus.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department Education and Training Dao Cong Loi underlined the need to bolster communication work on disease prevention but avoid causing excessive anxiety.

Based on developments of the pandemic, the Department will work with the health sector and relevant units to advise the provincial People’s Committee on when to let students stay home, he stated.

Screening returnees from pandemic-hit areas

Along with restarting the prevention system, education departments have moved to screen people who returned from current COVID-19 hotspots like Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities asked schools to report students and staff members who returned from pandemic-hit areas since January 13.

In the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, teachers and students with travel history to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh after January 14 were requested to make health declaration and self-quarantine. Those who travelled to high-risk areas or exhibit symptoms of coughing and fever must test for COVID-19.

Disinfecting a school in Hanoi after a student at the school was found to be infected by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Photo: VNA)

In Hanoi, the screening has been carried out since January 28 via schools systems.

A number of schools have detected students or student parents having direct contact with COVID-19 patients, for example Tu Lien kindergarten in Tay Ho district and Phan Dinh Phung High School in Ba Dinh district. All students at those schools were immediately asked to stay home and the schools were disinfected thoroughly.

Bordering Hai Duong, the country’s largest outbreak at present, Bac Ninh province has closed local schools for three days until January 31 to trace people with close contact with the infected.

The provincial educational sector also rushed against time to prepare infrastructure for COVID-19 prevention and control measures, and arrange personnel to keep a close watch on the situations./.