The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) announced in a statement yesterday its guidelines on class suspension for non-tertiary education schools during the second phase of the COVID-19 control transition period.
According to the statement, if there are positive COVID-19 cases in schools, class suspension measures will be implemented on a class basis accordingly. The statement noted that when the number of confirmed cases among students in a class reaches four or more in a school day, face-to-face teaching of that class will be suspended for five days starting that day.
Meanwhile, students will attend class as usual if there are fewer than four new confirmed new cases among the class in a school day, with infected students not required to attend classes, the statement said.
The statement added that students who were suspended from school on Monday or Tuesday this week due to the government’s ongoing adjustments to its COVID-19 prevention measures can undergo rapid antigen tests (RATs) or nucleic acid tests (NATs) for two consecutive days from the class suspension date, after which they can resume school after obtaining negative results.
The statement said that parents can decide whether or not to let their children return to school based on their child’s situation. The bureau urged schools to “exercise discretion” in handling the respective students’ absences.
Meanwhile, the statement noted that confirmed cases among teaching and non-teaching staff are “not considered as a condition for suspension of the classes they teach or serve”. The schools can also adjust teaching plans in line with the class suspension measures, the statement said.
Moreover, the DSEDJ statement provided some reminders for students, such as that RATs should be conducted if the students have symptoms of discomfort. Students with a confirmed case in their household should also conduct self-health management in line with the Health Bureau’s (SSM) guidelines and not go to school for the time being, adding that their health codes will then also turn yellow, the statement pointed out.
The DSED a urged students to get their COVID-19 jabs – including boosters – as soon as possible.
