Starting today (Sunday), the isolation days of students living in green localities will be reduced, as part of the "Green Classroom" project.
This means that in the classroom in which a verified patient is discovered, the students in the class will be tested in a PCR test that will be performed at the Home Front Command positions or at the health funds.
Students will remain in isolation until a negative answer is received, after which they will return to the classroom routine, with a mandatory speed test using antigen kits for seven days.
On the seventh day another PCR test will be performed.
After receiving a negative answer, the whole class will return to routine.
The decision is only valid for primary schools, and unfortunately for the parents - it does not include kindergartens for ages three to six.
This is because in classrooms students sit with masks and in fixed places, unlike kindergartens, where it is difficult to maintain social distance and they do not wear masks.
Another issue concerning the decision deals with the fact that the exemption from isolation for students applies only to studies, after-school programs (grades 1-2) and transportation.
That is, the exemption from isolation for students prohibits them from attending classes during this period (the week they are supposed to be in isolation), going to the mall, meeting friends and more.
It is not yet known how they will enforce the issue.
Antigen kits given to parents for home testing for children,
Another challenge that arises from the decision is that it is the students' parents who have to do the PCR test for them and wait for the result.
Transferring responsibility to parents can result in some of them not performing the test, in contrast to other existing outlines in which students are sampled in a PCR test by dedicated mobility in schools.
The Ministry of Education stressed that the project will not start today in all schools where a verified patient will be detected, as not all schools have antigen tests to distribute to parents.
The Ministry of Education does not have a stock of tests and is waiting for questions to be transferred to it from the Ministry of Health, which issued a tender for 30 million tests.
Also, the venture will only be relevant to classes where a patient was detected verified yesterday or Tuesday.
These students will be required to undergo a PCR test today and will be able to return to school tomorrow only on condition that the Ministries of Education and Health provide them with home corona tests.
"The disease will not rise"
As mentioned, the outline will be valid only in green localities, however, the green class pilot is also done in yellow, orange and red cities - a total of 130 schools.
There will be exemptions from isolation (in the case of a verified patient) only in classes participating in the pilot, and not all city students.
Education Minister Yifat Shasha Bitton, who pushed for a move to shorten the isolation period for students, said over the weekend: "Determination has paid off. For maximum school days for our children and to make it easier for the dear parents. "
Prof. Nachman Ash, Photo: Yossi Zeliger
Prof. Nachman Ash told Israel Today: "We would like to complete the pilot and examine the most correct outline, but the prime minister decides what he decides. I do not think it will jump the morbidity much, but it involves the full cooperation of the parents. In the long run, if the isolation is not eliminated in a way that people will obey the instructions, then there is a risk in that. "
"30 million kits will be provided"
Meanwhile, it turns out that companies that won a tender from the Ministry of Health to provide about 30 million rapid tests, designed to eliminate isolation for students, have approached competing companies to purchase inventory from them.
Those companies have so far failed to meet the inventories they have committed to, nor will they meet the target they have committed to - delivering the tests by Thursday of this week.
According to the results of the tender, Good Pharm (owned by businessman Rami Levy) is obligated to provide the Ministry of Health with 10 million tests, at a cost of NIS 6.7 per test, and Leipgen (also related to Rami Levy) will provide the Ministry of Health with 18 million tests, at a cost of 6.85 Shekels per set.
Daniel Biotech will provide 1.9 million rapid test kits.
Also, at least one of the companies that lost the tender intends to file a petition demanding its cancellation - a step that could lead to a delay in the delivery of the tests.
"The Ministry of Health gave a series of concessions before the tender, and it is possible to use antigen tests that have not been validated in Israel but are approved for use abroad," says a source in the field.
Inquiries were made to unsuccessful companies and other suppliers to buy from them full of tests.
The problem is that the companies won the tender for a particular product, and not for a product of another company.
It seems that there will not be enough tests to distribute to the students. "
Another senior official, familiar with the details of the green class outline, noted that there is no shortage of antigen tests and that a shipment of about five million tests will arrive as early as Tuesday.
Even today, he added, there are enough fulls to deal with classes that will be required for testing and also the rest of the supply is regulated.
The Corona virus information headquarters said: "A tender for the purchase of rapid corona antigen testing kits ended last week, and a winning announcement was made to the winning companies. The companies are expected to provide about 30 million quick test kits, which will be distributed among schools and kindergartens. Direct with the companies and make sure that they meet the conditions of the tender as required, and at this stage a shortage of the scope of the tests is not expected. "
As of yesterday, 464 corona patients are hospitalized in critical condition.
On Friday, about 2,000 people were diagnosed as positive.