Compulsory masks in schools

  25.11.2021 Local News

Since mid-October, it has been compulsory to wear a mask if there is a positive case in a class. The school administration can order masks for all teachers from kindergarten and pupils from grade 5 for seven days. The seven days (five school days) are calculated from the last school day of a positively tested person in school, as the Health, Social and Integration Directorate of the Canton of Bern (GSI) writes. The obligation to carry a mask is extended by another seven days since the last contact for each additional case.

Increased distance learning
If a quarter of the pupils in one class test positive, the school administration implements distance learning. Since there is also a noticeable increase in covid outbreaks at schools due to the general rise of infections, it takes longer in some cases until outbreak testing can take place.

Distance and hygiene measures
The GSI is asking the entire population to strictly adhere to distance and hygiene measures and not to refrain from frequent airing of indoor spaces. "Strict hand hygiene and wearing masks where necessary will help a lot in slowing down the spread of the virus."

To prevent the rising number of cases from directly affecting the number of hospital admissions, the GSI recommends getting vaccinated against severe outcomes of the disease. They say the vaccination is the best way to prevent severe outcomes of the disease. All patients currently (as of Friday) on ventilators in intensive care units had not been vaccinated according to the GSI.

Based on AvS


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