Filenews 13 January 2022 - by Marilena Panagi
The measure of "Last to stay" in schools will not be implemented from Monday, since as decided during yesterday's meeting held with the participation of the Ministers of Health and Education, the application will be preceded by a meeting with the three educational organizations that expressed their strong protest against the relevant decision of the Council of Ministers.
As far as the procedure to be followed is concerned, the Ministry of Health has since yesterday entered into a race in order to strengthen its capabilities and increase both the staff and the mobile sampling units, in order to serve the needs that will arise daily in primary and secondary schools.
It was also decided that the measure would be optional. That is, parents/students will be able to choose whether to stay in their school when they are declared as close contacts by applying the practice of "Last to stay" or whether to stay in their homes.
It was also made clear that "Last to stay" will only be for close contacts and not for the entire class of a student who tested positive for the coronavirus. That is, it will only apply to children who are now defined as close contacts of a case in a school department under the protocol already in force.
Based on what was discussed yesterday, sampling in schools will be undertaken by the Ministry of Health and specifically, students who will be appointed as close contacts of a classmate who tested positive for the virus, will be tested, either by staff of mobile units who will supervise the schools, or through mobile units that will be stationed very early in schools where possible, or they will be able to go to sampling points of the Ministry of Health which will operate before the start time of classes before their transfer to school and the procedure will be repeated for a period of five days. In the event that a new positive case occurs from the children/contacts, the same procedure will be followed with the children who will be defined according to protocol as close contacts.
The Ministry of Health, as we are informed, has already announced a tender in order to secure the necessary number of qualified samplers who will staff the additional sampling units and will have the school units under their supervision.
For schools operating in the region, the ministry of health will ensure that sampling units are available to meet their needs.
In any case, details on how to implement this measure will be given in the coming days and when the Ministry of Health completes its relevant planning and covers all estimated needs.
According to the data provided by the tracing unit at yesterday's meeting, the number of close contacts declared each day and related to education is less than 2000. Given the fact that in the next 15 days the Lyceums will not operate, this number is expected that during the first stages of the implementation of this program, which was characterized as a "pilot", the number of close contacts will be much smaller.
As stated in a relevant announcement by the Ministry of Health, "the educational organizations will receive relevant information in a meeting that will take place on Monday, when the date of commencement of the implementation of the measure "Last to stay" will be announced. The aim is for schools to remain safe and up and running, providing children with the basic right to education."
Automatic release in 10 days
The facts are changing in releasing cases from isolation. Based on the information received by all GHS personal doctors, on the tenth day from the sampling of the positive result (i.e. from the day the person is tested and not from the day he/she is informed about the result), the affected persons will automatically receive, through the electronic case registration platform, a text message informing them that on the 11th day they are released from quarantine. Personal doctors will be able to increase, through the electronic platform, the days of isolation of their patients up to 20 days in case they deem it necessary due to symptoms.
Specifically, and as stated in the written briefing received yesterday by personal doctors:
► From 17 January, the release of positive individuals will be automatically released from the case registration platform after the 10 days of self-isolation have been completed from the date of sampling of the positive result.
►The date of symptoms will not be taken into account and the release process will be done without the participation of personal doctors.
►Positive people should continue to inform personal doctors of their positive outcome so that their health can be monitored and their sick leave issued where necessary.
►In cases where the personal doctor considers that the self-isolation of the case should be prolonged due to the persistence of symptoms or in the case of immunosuppressed patients including dialysis patients, the period of self-isolation may be extended by personal doctors up to 20 days.
►PD continue to have access to the data platform where they will be able to see the date of sampling of the first positive result of the case and the expected release date of their patient and extend the containment period if they deem it necessary.
►Personal doctors have the right to increase but not reduce the period of containment of the case and will be able to do so until the 10th day otherwise a text message will be sent to the patient stating the 11th day as the day of release.
►For people who have needed inpatient care, they will be automatically released again from the system taking into account the date of discharge of the patient and not earlier than 20 days.
As far as people who present a positive result after a self-test are concerned and if they contact their personal doctor and do not proceed on their own initiative to a confirmatory examination, "personal doctors will schedule, through the platform, a laboratory molecular test to confirm the positive result".
