Complete exemption of students from compulsory mask use and performance Self assessment test recommended by an expert committee. Its members took note of the encouraging epidemiological data recorded in regular reports EODIbut also proposed by his political leadership Ministry of Education protocol. The protocol under consideration includes relaxing the measures that have been in place for much of the last school year, as well as advising parents to be especially careful and keep an eye on their children to avoid spreading the virus. When symptoms appear, self-diagnosis is recommended. Because the student is infected, it is recommended five day isolation at home, as is the case with the general population. After 5 days and with no symptoms or improvement of symptoms after 5 days with complete disappearance of fever within 24 hours without antipyretics, isolation ends.

As emphasized in a joint communication by the ministries of education and health, the student returns to school with the mandatory use of a high respiratory protection mask (N95 or KN95 or FFP2) or a double mask for at least another five days after the end of isolation. The announcement reminds of the need to maintain hand hygiene, as well as to ventilate the premises. “Health measures will be reviewed in case of changes in epidemiological data,” the message says.

The philosophy of the expert committee is to move away from horizontal measures and at least return to normal life.

The committee’s philosophy is to move away from horizontal measures and more or less return to normal, as the pandemic has a steady downward trend and the risk to younger ages is low. It should be noted that the meeting, which was also attended by the Minister of Education Niki Kerameos, was unanimous, as none of the members raised objections. The new data may have been received with enthusiasm by students, but this is not the case for teachers and parents, who are especially concerned about the winter season, when viruses and flu tend to be equally rampant. There is no doubt, however, that the lifting of the measures will restore the lost carelessness of school life.

The changes from September will also affect the treatment of coronavirus patients in public hospitals and private clinics, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health Ioannis Kotsiopulos said in a radio interview yesterday. According to him, private clinics will now be able to keep patients with coronavirus in order to reduce the possible burden on the National Health Service. The public COVID clinic model has not yet come to an end. The above is included in the operational readiness plan of the Ministry of Health to deal with a possible outbreak in the fall and is being promoted in cooperation with the National Public Health Organization (EODY).

EODY announced yesterday 50,579 cases, 202 deaths, 117 intubated in the week of August 22-28.

What is true abroad?

The mandatory wearing of masks has been abolished in many countries in Europe and the US, but not in Japan or Korea, where masks are kept in classrooms. In these countries, the use of masks is so ingrained that during the hot summer months, some teachers found it difficult to persuade students to take off their masks in the gym. In Germany, masks will only be returned to classrooms in exceptional cases, and schools will not be closed under any circumstances. This was stated by the Minister of Education of Germany Bettina Stark Winziger, adding that a system is needed to assess air quality in classrooms. Since last year, the German federal government has allocated 200 million euros to equip classrooms with air purifiers, while the US authorities are also taking action to ensure classroom air quality. Nearly four in 10 public schools in the US have upgraded their existing air conditioning and ventilation systems, and three in 10 have purchased portable air purifiers with HEPA filters, according to a US CDC study. In France, health authorities are urging schools to follow ventilation protocols and systematically measure classroom air quality. The rest of the instructions for disinfecting surfaces, washing hands and using masks in case of symptoms remain.