08 GEN – Schools will reopen on 10 January with the new rules in case of infections in the classroom established by the decree published on 7 January in the Official Gazette. A Health and Education circular to provide initial indications of an applicative nature “with a view to combining the essential social and institutional need for continuing education in the presence with the principle of ensuring health safety and combating the spread of the virus in this difficult context health emergency “.
Integrated education and training system 0 – 6 years
In the presence of a positive case in the section or class group, the following measures are arranged. For children belonging to the same section / group as the positive case, the following is expected:
– didactic activity: suspended for 10 days;
– sanitary measure: quarantine lasting 10 days with exit test – molecular or antigenic swab with negative result.
For the staff (of the school and external) who carried out activities in presence in the section / group of the positive case for at least 4 hours, even if not continuous, in the 48 hours preceding the onset of the case, the Circular of the Ministry of Health 0060136 applies. -30/12/2021 for close contacts (HIGH RISK).
Primary School
In the presence of only one case of positivity in the class, the following measures are arranged. For students attending the same class as the positive case, the following is expected:
– didactic activity: in presence. It is recommended to consume the meal at an interpersonal distance of at least 2 meters;
– health measure: surveillance with rapid or molecular antigen test to be carried out as soon as possible (T0) from the moment in which the positive case has been informed and to be repeated after five days (T5). Regarding the results of the swabs, it should be noted that if the result of the swab T0 is negative, you can go back to school. If, on the other hand, it is positive, it is necessary to inform the DdP and the GP / PLS and do not go back to school. Similarly, for the T5 buffer, if the result is positive, it is necessary to inform the DdP and the GP / PLS and not to go to school.
In the event of a positive swab, the COVID-19 school contact person / school manager will be informed according to the procedure adopted locally for positive cases occurring between students and school operators.
For school and external staff who have carried out activities in the classroom of the positive case for at least 4 hours, even if not continuously, in the 48 hours preceding the onset of the case, the health measure of Self-surveillance is applied.
In any case, it is considered appropriate to recommend that the personnel placed in self-monitoring still carry out the diagnostic tests T0 and T5.
In the presence of at least two positive cases, the following measures are arranged for classmates:
– didactic activity: face-to-face activity is suspended, distance learning is applied for a duration of ten days;
– sanitary measure: quarantine lasting 10 days with exit test – molecular or antigenic swab – with negative result.
For school and external staff who have carried out activities in the presence of positive cases in the classroom for at least 4 hours, even if not continuous, in the 48 hours preceding the onset of the first case, the provisions of the Circular of the Ministry of Health apply. 0060136-30 / 12/2021 for close contacts (HIGH RISK).
Lower secondary school and vocational education and training courses (IeFP)
In the presence of a positive case in the class, the following measures are arranged. For students attending the same class as the positive case, the following is expected:
– didactic activity: in the presence, with the obligation to wear FFP2 type respiratory protection devices for at least 10 days; it is recommended not to eat meals at school unless an interpersonal distance of at least two meters can be maintained;
– health measure: Self-surveillance.
For school and external staff who have carried out activities in the classroom of the positive case for at least 4 hours, even if not continuously, in the 48 hours preceding the onset of the case, the health measure of Self-surveillance is applied.
In the presence of two positive cases in the class, the measures envisaged are differentiated according to the vaccination status:
A) for pupils who have not completed the primary vaccination course or who have completed it for more than one hundred and twenty days, who have recovered for more than one hundred and twenty days and who have not been given the booster dose, the following is expected:
– didactic activity: in-person activity is suspended, integrated digital teaching is applied for a duration of ten days;
– sanitary measure: quarantine lasting 10 days with exit test – molecular or antigenic swab – with negative result.
B) for pupils who have completed the primary vaccination course, or who have recovered for less than one hundred and twenty days and for those who have subsequently been given the booster dose, the following is expected:
– didactic activity: in presence with the obligation to wear FFP2 type respiratory protection devices for at least 10 days; it is recommended not to eat meals at school unless an interpersonal distance of at least two meters can be maintained;
– health measure: Self-surveillance.
For the case in question, there is an obligation to specify that, in light of the new legislation, the requirements to be able to attend in attendance, albeit under self-surveillance, must be demonstrated by the pupil concerned.
The educational institution, as a result of the legislative intervention, is authorized to take note of the vaccination status of the students in this specific case. Pursuant to the provisions of the law, in fact, in the hypothesis in which two positive cases have occurred in the class, it is allowed to continue the teaching in presence only “for those who demonstrate that they have completed the primary vaccination cycle or to be recovered for less than one hundred and twenty days or to have taken the booster dose […]”.
For school and external staff who have carried out activities in the presence of positive cases in the classroom for at least 4 hours, even if not continuous, in the 48 hours preceding the onset of the first case, the provisions of the Circular of the Ministry of Health apply. 0060136-30 / 12/2021-DGPRE- DGPRE-P for close contacts (HIGH RISK).
In the presence of at least three cases of positivity in the class, the following measures are arranged. For students attending the same class as positive cases, it is expected:
– didactic activity: face-to-face activity is suspended, distance learning is applied for a duration of ten days;
– health measure: the provisions of the Circular of the Ministry of Health 0060136-30 / 12/2021 apply for close contacts (HIGH RISK).
For school and external staff who have carried out activities in the presence of positive cases in the classroom for at least 4 hours, even if not continuous, in the 48 hours preceding the onset of the first case, the provisions of the Circular of the Ministry of Health apply. 0060136-30 / 12/2021-DGPRE- DGPRE-P for close contacts (HIGH RISK).
Measures for tracking in the school population
It is considered appropriate to specify that the new legislation, in art. 5, favors the tracing of COVID-19 infections and introduces, until 28 February 2022, for the school population of first and second grade secondary schools, under the self-surveillance regime, the possibility of carrying out antigen tests free of charge rapid (T5) both in pharmacies and in authorized health facilities, following the medical prescription of the general practitioner or pediatrician of free choice.
For the primary school school population, the T0 and T5 swabs continue to be carried out at the facilities of the National Health Service.
Further clarifications
In order to facilitate the application of the new provisions, it is considered useful to recall the following points of attention:
– the precautionary regime of Self-surveillance provides:
“It is mandatory to wear FFP2 type respiratory protection devices for at least 10 days from the last exposure to the case. The self-monitoring period ends on day 5. A rapid or molecular antigen test is scheduled to detect the Sars-Cov-2 antigen at the first appearance of symptoms and, if still symptomatic, on the fifth following day. on the date of the last close contact with subjects confirmed positive for Covid 19. ” (see the Circular of the Ministry of Health 0060136- 30/12/2021)
– subjects with respiratory symptoms or body temperature higher than 37.5 ° are not allowed to enter or remain in the school premises (See article 4, paragraph 2, of the decree-law 7 January 2022, n. 1, as already provided article 1, paragraph 2, letter c), of the decree-law 6 August 2021, n. 111, converted, with modifications, by the law 24 September 2021, n. 133);
– the Prevention Departments provide for health provisions, including quarantine measures, isolation and the timing for the return to school of pupils and staff and guarantee continuous support to educational institutions through institutional figures, who intervene as referents in support of the head teacher / COVID-19 school contact.
Finally, it should be noted that for any need and / or request for clarification with respect to the contents of this note, the Accounting Administrative Help Desk (HDAC) service is available – an official channel of assistance, consultancy and communication between the Administration and the educational institutions on organizational issues. , management, administrative and accounting – accessible at the following path: “SIDI → SIDI Applications → Accounting Financial Management → Accounting Administrative Help Desk”.
08 January 2022
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