Behind the dramatic announcement:
The isolation exemption outline, presented by Prime Minister Bennett and Ministers Horowitz and Shasha Bitton, will take effect only next Thursday.
It is not for nothing that the outline will only start in a week - which will give the government time and more students to be infected with the virus - and the meaning is one, more students are exempt from isolation anyway.
There are 2,445,522 students in the education system, and at the beginning of the week, the percentage of students exempted from isolation (vaccinated and recovering) was about 44% of students (1,072,133 students).
As mentioned, these students can come to school anyway even if they have met a verified patient and provided they have done a quick antigen test and the result is negative.
Prime Minister Bennett and Ministers Announce: An End to Isolation in the Education System // Photo: GPO
Since then, no data has been released on the percentage of students exempt from isolation but they are growing at a record rate.
The number of patients known in the education system is approaching 200,000 and tens of thousands of new students and teachers are infected every day.
That means in a week the percentage of exemption from isolation in the education system will be high anyway because more and more students are sick and recovering.
In addition, it is assumed that next Thursday there will be a decrease in the number of verified daily so it is possible to start with relief.
In addition, government ministers say it is clear that the current isolation pattern among children and youth has exhausted itself, given the extent of isolation and the huge spread of the virus across the country.
In the first stage, this outline will not apply to teaching staff who are not vaccinated or recovering, there are about 60,000 teaching staff who are not exempt from isolation (only 208,000 out of 268,000 are such).
That is, if they are exposed to a verified patient - they will have to go into isolation.
The result is that principals can again find themselves with an acute shortage of manpower as the class will continue to arrive but the teacher will be forced to stay home.
According to the "examining and learning" outline - students who have been exposed to a verified student will no longer be required to enter solitary confinement.
Home test kits will be distributed from time to time to all students - free of charge.
Students throughout the education system will be required to perform two antigen tests a week - on Sundays and Wednesdays, prior to school day.
A student whose home test result is negative: will arrive at the educational institution for a study routine.
A student whose home test result is positive: will not attend school and will be tested at a supervised test station.
If the result of the supervised examination is negative - the student will return to the educational institution for a study routine.
If the result of the supervised test is positive - the student will perform five full days of isolation until recovery (subject to home tests on days 4 and 5 and a negative result in both).
It is not yet known how the credentials will be presented to the team.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the press conference: "The state goes towards the parents and children who go to the education frameworks. We take responsibility. We have divided and divided up into test kits. It requires personal responsibility of the parents to perform the tests properly. If the child is sick or has symptoms To the school or kindergarten "he added:" The wave is difficult for everyone, there is verification in almost every home. "
This is how the tests will be distributed
Meanwhile, the Ministries of Education and Health along with the local government have released the details of the antigen testing distribution operation.
The distribution plan will be carried out in two main phases:
Phase A (starting from 20.1.2022)
Each kindergarten and elementary student will receive a full set (box) of 20 tests to take home according to the following order of priority:
• Kindergartens Special education
• Kindergartens
• Schools Elementary
• Each member of the educational staff in the elementary schools and kindergartens will receive 10 tests each (every two staff members will share a package of 20) including staff members from the local authority: daycare, assistants, etc.
* Distribution of 10 tests to each member of the educational staff .
Authority education with the assistance of the education departments and the authority of the authority Corona.
Performing a home antigen test, Photo: Gil Kramer
Step B - (Start date - will be updated separately)
Distribution of kits to all educational staff and middle school and high school students in accordance with the following distribution key:
• 6 tests per student (3 students will share a package of 20) with the assistance and cooperation of the young leadership.
• 10 tests per staff member (2 education staff members will distribute a package of 20).
Experts disagree
Meanwhile, reactions to the outline are mixed.
The Association of Public Health Physicians announced that they "welcome the government's decision to change the test outline and abolish the quarantine for contact with children so that continuous studies with Corona can be allowed. The risk from the corona.
The test of all of us, of the system and of the public, will be in performing and responding to exceptional cases including children and teachers at high risk.
Steps such as distributing N95 masks to high-risk children should be considered.
At the same time, further policy changes must be professionally examined in accordance with Chaim's strategy with the Corona, including the issue of the green mark and the usefulness of quarantine for adult contacts.
N95 masks, Photo: Reuters
Prof. Tzachi Grossman, chairman of the Pediatrics Association, also expressed satisfaction with the outline: "Welcomes a balanced and correct move by the Israeli government.
We said and led all the way: maintaining the mental and physical health of the children while maintaining a careful study routine.
I call on parents to adhere to the outline of the tests and together maintain the health of us all. "
On the other hand, Adva Lotan, chairwoman of Madat (an organization founded to promote public health in the fields of medical care and preventive medicine) said: "Omicron is a less violent variant than its predecessor, but it does not make it risk-free, mainly because it is highly contagious. And should be treated as an existing and significant threat.
Keep in mind that there are also long-term risks that the disease carries, especially in children, including potential risks that are not known.
Frequent isolations in the education system do make day-to-day management difficult, but the decision to cancel them immediately without waiting for the current wave to subside lowers one of the few measures currently available to protect the student population, teachers and their families.
The policy currently being pursued by the government is dangerous and irresponsible.
"Instead of eliminating the isolations in the education system without taking appropriate measures, the state must thicken the protection mechanisms for students and all citizens of the state."
The association calls for "giving significant protection to students from serious illness, including daily PCR tests (which are more accurate and less invasive), learning in capsules alongside providing a national curriculum through the media that will address both students who prefer not to be tested and students at increased risk."
Participated in the preparation of the article: Ariel Kahana, Meital Yasur Beit-Or
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