COVID-19: Dubai private schools send reminders on resuming physical classes as spring break nears end

Dubai: Dubai private schools have started reminding students currently on spring break about the guidelines for resuming face-to-face classes next week, including the need to test negative for COVID-19 before re-joining classes.

Schools this week have been communicating the guidelines, announced earlier by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

What the guidelines say:

The guidelines say that students returning from trips abroad require a negative PCR test report not older than 48 hours’ validity in order to resume in-classroom learning in school. The test can be done at the airport also.

In the absence of such a test, such students should stay at home and do distance learning for ten days (counting day one as their arrival date).

During the ten-day period at home, students who want to come to school should first produce a negative PCR test result. The PCR test may be done at an approved DHA testing facility within the emirate, KHDA said.

Positive cases

“Anyone who is infected with COVID-19 should complete ten days of isolation period, starting from the date of sample collection, and submit a ‘De-Isolation Clearance Certificate’ to the school nurse before returning to school physically,” an American curriculum school in Dubai said in a communique to parents.

Travel declaration

Also, all students and staff must declare recent travel history by completing the relevant DHA form online, KHDA said. Schools will keep these declarations on file. Students with no recent travel history and no signs of any symptoms of COVID-19 are not required to take a PCR test.

Close contacts

“Anyone who has come in contact with someone who has been infected with COVID-19 or has a family member staying in the same house infected with COVID-19, should complete ten days of quarantine, starting from the next day of the day of last contact with the infected person,” the school added.

Routine reminder

The reminders come as the third and final term of this academic year begins next week for most international curriculum schools.