HCMC – The Ministry of Education and Training has proposed the Ministry of Health shorten the quarantine time for close contacts of Covid cases who are teachers and students to facilitate the reopening of schools.
The proposal was made due to different regulations on the quarantine and testing in each area, affecting in-person learning and teaching activities, the local media reported.
Many schools are finding it hard to handle Covid cases and those in close contact with Covid patients. Many have asked the entire class to stay at home after detecting a Covid case in the class, according to a report prepared by the Ministry of Education and Training.
According to the education ministry, some localities have asked all students to undergo a Covid test before coming to class, with testing fees being covered by their parents, provoking a public outcry.
Under the prevailing regulations, Covid cases stop quarantining 10 days after testing negative for the disease twice, while fully-vaccinated contacts end their seven-day quarantine after testing negative twice.
In the ongoing fourth wave of Covid, which began in late April last year, nearly 163,000 education employees, teachers and students have been infected with the disease, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.
After the Lunar New Year holiday, many cities and provinces allowed schools to reopen, while localities have seen the number of Covid infections among teachers and students soar. Due to the rising Covid infections, many schools were asked to combine online and offline learning and teaching.
Besides, the ministry also proposed the Health Ministry quickly issue guidance on protecting children who are unvaccinated against Covid and determining how often Covid tests need to be conducted on students and teachers.
