Schools getting ready to start another school year with COVID

2022-08-29

It’s almost time to get back to school, and education centers around Taiwan are taking the last steps before yet another school year with COVID. Class cancelation rules are due to be relaxed two weeks into the new term, so that students who test negative in rapid tests can continue attending classes as normal. Experts say that though Taiwan is expected to see another COVID wave in September, this time it will be the BA.5 subvariant, which tends to cause milder symptoms.

Students go through temperature checks, to ensure none of them have a fever. This is Taipei’s Shezi Elementary School. With classes starting tomorrow, COVID preparations are in full swing.

Chu Jung-fu
Shezi Elementary School principal
It’s almost the start of the new school year, so of course, disinfection is a must. We have enough test kits, face masks and cleaning supplies, as well as forehead and ear thermometers.

COVID school closure regulations will remain unchanged for the first two weeks of class. That means that classes will be canceled for three days if any positives are found in class. Then, starting Sept. 12, regulations will change. Students who test positive will still have to isolate at home for seven days. But any contacts, including people they’ve in close proximity to without face masks for at least 15 minutes will be able to continue going to school if they test negative in a rapid test.

Ms. Chen
Shezi Elementary School PTA
Over the past two years of COVID, the school has conveyed health protocols very well, and the parent-teacher association has abided by the rules too. The school implemented COVID measures and was clear in its communication with the parent-teacher association, so we were up-to-date. We’re not worried.

Experts say a new wave of local COVID infections driven by the BA.5 omicron subvariant could peak in September.

Lin Ying-jan
Taiwan Primary Care Association
The BA.5 subvariant is a different kind of virus. So it will definitely replace the BA.2 subvariant, kicking off a new wave. Schools are a place where people gather, so there is a higher likelihood for infection. BA.5 infections tend to be rather mild, so the government is still willing to ease regulations.

With local COVID cases on the rise, demand for rapid tests is going up. Starting Sept. 1, people aged 65 and up are entitled to receive five rapid tests from more than 4,600 pharmacies nationwide, by just presenting their NHI card. Meanwhile, experts call on parents to get their young kids vaccinated to reduce the risk of infection and severe symptoms.

開學前一日返校收心國小防疫做好做滿

2022-08-29

明天就是開學日，北市社子國小在開學前一天實施返校日，除了希望同學們好好收心外，也為防疫做準備，因為開學兩週後將實施新制，再也不用一人確診全班停課，而是廣發快篩，要是陰性，接觸者可以正常上課。而近期疫情升溫，專家們都預估9月中以後有可能迎來新一波傳染。

來到學校，每個小朋友都得量測體溫確保沒有發燒，這是北市社子國小，開學前一天的返校日，準備防疫是一大重點。

[[社子國小校長　朱榮富]]
“針對開學的部分，在消毒還有我們所有一些必要的，像快篩、口罩，然後我們一些清潔用品，然後額溫槍、耳溫槍，學校的數量都足夠。”

目前開學頭兩週維持舊制，學生確診全班停課三天，但從9月12日起，學生確診一樣實施7天居家照護外，其他人接觸確診者，如果有摘下口罩共同活動15分鐘，快篩陰即可到校上課。

[[社子國小家長會長陳小姐]]
“我想從疫情這兩年多以來，學校不管是在傳達上，或家長會配合學校的，學校都很配合防疫準則，不管是傳達上，其實我們家長是還滿明確知道我們的動態，所以其實沒有太大的擔憂。”

專家也預估，從9月中開始，本土BA.5疫情將會升溫。

[[基層醫療協會理事長林應然]]
“BA.5是一個不同種的病毒，所以它一定會取代BA.2，造成新一波的流行。因為學校是一個群聚場所，所以比較容易確診，但是因為BA.5的感染常常不會很嚴重，所以政府還是會採取開放的態度。”

疫情升溫，快篩需求量勢必大增，65歲以上老人家從9月1日開始，可以持健保卡到全國4600多家藥局，免費領取五劑快篩試劑。專家呼籲家長要盡快帶幼兒接種疫苗，降低感染風險。