Changed testing procedure at elementary schools: "Strategy 2.0"
Created: 01/26/2022, 09:21 am
A mother takes a lollipop swab from her child.
© Peter Kneffel/dpa/symbol image
Due to tight capacities and an increasing number of corona cases, there have been short-term changes for elementary school students in lollipop PCR tests since Wednesday.
The Ministry of Education pointed out the new detailed test regulations of a “Strategy 2.0” in a circular email to the schools on Tuesday evening.
Düsseldorf – Elementary school students with a positive pool result in the lollipop tests are only retested with quick tests.
The submission of individual PCR reference samples to the laboratories is no longer necessary - according to the Ministry of Education due to heavy laboratory workload and the concentration - prioritization - of PCR tests on certain groups decided by the federal and state governments.
Students from a pool that tests positive may only attend classes if they have previously had a negative rapid test result or a negative PCR test result “obtained elsewhere,” or
carry out a quick test with a negative result at the beginning of the lesson," says the new regulation.
As soon as a positive rapid corona test is available, the student must go into domestic isolation.
The school accompanies the elementary school students until they are handed over to their parents.
The control test of a positive self-test must then be carried out “outside the school system by a test center at least as a rapid corona test”, describes the requirement.
If this quick test is also positive, the student is considered infected and can only be tested seven days later at an official test center or via a PCR test.
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According to the ministry, parents are informed about a positive rapid test result for their children and asked to pick up their children from school immediately.
The health department should also be informed.
According to the information, the existing test system will be retained at special schools.
Around 80 percent of the pool tests are currently negative.
These students can attend classes as usual the following day anyway.
The Ministry of Education is aware that the adjustments will continue to burden everyday school life.
dpa
