New checklist: UAE students, parents urged to follow list of COVID-19 safety measures to curb outbreak

Dubai: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on Sunday shared a list of dos and don’ts for students going to school and returning home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Hend Al Awadhi, head of DHA’s Health Promotion and Education Section in the Public Health Protection Department, said it is important to speak with children regularly so parents can notice if the child is experiencing any uneasiness.

She added that parents should put in a place a daily sanitisation routine. “Cloth masks should be washed daily. If the mask has a filter, it should be removed and reinserted after the mask is dry. The filter should be changed every ten days,” Al Awadhi said.

Dr Alwadhi added that parents must educate children that by following safety instructions, children are not only protecting their health and the health of their family members but also keeping their fellow school friends, teachers and staff at the school healthy.

She said parents and all household members including house-help should also ensure they adhere to all precautionary measures at all times.

The UAE on Saturday reported 1,007 COVID-19 cases, crossing the 1000-mark for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus, which takes the overall number of confirmed infections to 78,849.

Last week, it was reported that 10 per cent of the 930 new detected cases announced on September 10 were from testing done by schools for teachers and staff before school openings in the UAE.

Before going to school

• Do not go to school if you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection or fever.

• It is better to tie your hair to reduce touching your face

• Wear a mask before leaving the house

• Don’t forget to carry your protective kit (face mask, spare face mask, sanitiser and tissues)

• It is better to use private transportation

Tips for students that use the school bus

• Do not enter the bus if you have any respiratory symptoms

• Make sure you adhere to all precautionary guidelines

• Note that your temperature will be measured before entering the bus

• Make sure you wear the face mask correctly while you are on the bus

• Maintain physical distancing between yourself and others and avoid gathering with friends

• Avoid touching the interior surfaces of the bus

Do not touch your face with contaminated hands and keep your hands clean by sanitising them frequently

At school

Do

— Greet others without any contact

— Wash or sanitise your hands frequently

— Wear your mask the entire time you are at school. (Put cloth masks in a pouch when you eat your snack or lunch. If you use a disposable mask, dispose of it correctly and use a new one after eating your food).

Maintain physical distancing

Bring your own food from home

Stay home if you have any respiratory symptoms

Clean and disinfect your desk

Don’t

Handshake and no high-fives either

Share food with others

Share your mask with others

Sit with a big group of friends

Touch your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands

Throw your mask in undesignated places

Exchange books and stationary

— Spread rumours about COVID-19

Sanitisation of personal items at school:

Ensure that you sanitise their personal items regularly. You can sanitise items with a disinfectant or a sanitiser provided it contains a minimum alcohol content of 60 per cent.

The personal items most susceptible to contamination are:

• School bag

• Lunch box

• Headphones

• Pen and notebook

• Smart devices

• Glasses

• Children’s toys

Physical distancing

COVID-19 is transmitted by contaminated droplets, so it is important to maintain a sufficient distance between you and others at all times, says Al Awadhi.

• The distance should not be less than two meters

• You may think that it is difficult to maintain this distance in the school environment, especially with your classmates but remember that physical distancing is one of the most basic elements in protecting you, your classmates and your family.

When entering the house

• When you return from school, take off your shoes, keep them in a specific place, preferably outside your home and do not forget to sanitise them later

• Remove your face mask and dispose of it correctly

• Leave your school bag, personal items and study tools in a designated place in the hallway of your home and sanitise it later

• Take off your school clothes and put them in a laundry bag

• Shower or wash the exposed areas of your body well (hands, wrists, neck and feet)

If you are a parent, follow these ‘knowledge, tools and hygiene practices’.

Knowledge

Educate your child about COVID-19

• Symptoms.

• Methods of transmission

• Ways in which your child can protect himself and others

Tools

Provide a protective kit for your child to take to school

• Hand sanitisers

• Face Masks

• Tissues

Practices

• Teach children the correct way to wash their hands

• Educate them about the importance of maintaining sufficient physical distance (not less than two metres)

• Teach them the correct sneezing and coughing etiquette