QCOSTARICA – During the first week of face-to-face classes, 13 schools and colleges detected students or officials suspected of having covid-19 or who tested positive for the virus.
In all cases, the schools activated the established protocols, according to the report given this Monday by the Ministry of Public Education (MEP).
As the interim minister of Education, Melania Brenes, acknowledged as more students enter the classrooms, it will be more frequent to attend to this type of situation.
Last week, the suspected and positive cases occurred at the Simón Bolívar School, in Alajuela; the Adele Clarini School, in Coto; the Bella Vista, Calienta Tigra and Linda Vista schools, in Grande de Térraba, in the southern part of the country.
In addition, the protocol was activated at the Ricardo Salas School, in Heredia; at the Liceo Rural La Garita, in Liberia; at the Mata de Limón School and at the Limón School; at the Cabo Blanco School, in Puntarenas; and at the Pueblo Nuevo School in Sarapiquí.
The same situation occurred at the Los Ángeles del Porvenir Rural High School, in Nicoya: and at the José Figueres Ferrer School, in Sabanilla de Montes de Oca (San Pedro).
The provision is that schools do not close or suspend face-to-face classes in the event that a student, teacher or administrative officer is suspected of having covid-19 or tests positive.
“A case of covid-19 does not imply the closure of the educational center; Classes will open regardless of the context of covid-19 in which the educational center is located, whether it is in the district or orange canton. There is a whole protocol of what to do in each center when there is a case or several cases of active covid-19 ”.
“The area must be disinfected, the child or another infected person is isolated and an analysis of the contacts is carried out. Each educational center must coordinate with the Ministry of Health,” explained Leonardo Sánchez, director of Equity Programs at the MEP.
According to the MEP, a school will only be closed if there is an epidemiological scenario that justifies it.
In this case, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the MEP, will temporarily suspend face-to-face classes, either at a local, regional or national level.
