Filenews 1 February 2022
The Ministry of Health clarifies that as of today, February 1, 2022, the differentiation of the test-to-stay procedure is implemented for students who are close contacts and have completed their vaccination program or hold a certificate of disease and the 90-day period has not passed. This differentiation applies to those students who are close contacts of a confirmed positive case diagnosed as of February 1, 2022.
Specifically:
What about close contacts who have completed their vaccination program or hold a certificate of disease and the 90-day period has not passed?;
- According to the protocol, they are not obliged to self-limit and on the 3rd and 5th day of contact, they undergo rapid antigen tests (Rapid test), while there is a recommendation to perform a PCR test or a Rapid antigen test on the 7th day.
- The Rapid antigen test on the 3rd and 5th day can be performed either through the sampling units that come to schools, or through the predetermined sampling points referred to by the Ministry of Health.
What about close contacts who have no history of vaccination, or have received at least one dose of vaccine, or have become ill and the 90-day period has elapsed?
- They will have the option either to be limited for 10 days as provided by the relevant protocol and to be released on the 7th day after a rapid antigen test or a laboratory PCR test, or to come to the predetermined points for the rapid antigen test daily for the period of 7 consecutive days after contact (holidays and weekends are excluded).
- Students participating in the "test to stay" are not required to come to the predetermined sampling points referred to them by the Ministry of Health for rapid antigen detection tests (Rapid test) on the 3rd and 5th day from the date of contact.
- This measure exceptionally concerns only the opening hours of school units (including single all-day schools and optional all-day schools) and after the departure of close contacts from schools, they should be placed in self-isolation, as they continue to be considered close contacts and will not be able to take part in other afternoon activities (such as tutorials, sports, etc.)
- Students should avoid their transportation through public transport and their passage to school should be done by private vehicle.
- The absence of students from the classroom during the laboratory testing process will be justified.
- It is clarified that if a person undergoes an examination in the afternoon and is found positive, his contacts at school will be able to make use of the application of the measure "test to stay".
- Primary and secondary school students residing in remote or mountainous communities will continue to be served by the sampling points that will visit the school units.
- In any case, the responsibility for accompanying and supervising the children who will come to the sampling centres located in the schools lies with the parents/guardians.
It is recalled that:
- Primary school students in private and public schools are required to present a negative Rapid test twice a week.
- Secondary school students in private and public schools are required to present a negative Rapid test with a validity of 72 hours.
It is clarified that from the above obligation are excluded students who have completed their vaccination program (two doses) or hold a certificate of disease valid for 90 days.
