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A school will only end up in “very extraordinary situations” as is the case with many cases of covid-19 within the establishment and “an intense community spread,” the Health Director-General said today, stressing that it will be a surgical decision.
“The impact of closing a school is so great that there must be criteria, standardization, consideration, to see if all aspects have been studied and are being applied well, because it is a decision with great responsibility and we are going to try to be surgical in our procedure . “Said Graça Freitas at the usual press conference on covid-19.
The Director General of Health explained that whenever possible, a class, zone or wing of the school will be limited, and “Only in very extraordinary situations, with a large circulation of infected cases within the school and with an intense community spread, is it possible to consider closing a school”.
Graça Freitas acknowledged that the risk of contagion in schools is “a great concern” for parents, teachers and students, but also for health.
What is the intention of DGS?
But, at least, for now, “the intention is that closing a school in its entirety is an exception,” he reiterated, adding that there are mechanisms that will be adopted and are foreseen in the framework so that a school can be closed.
He also defended that now it is necessary to restrict even socialization. “We have to make an effort to have less contact with other people because the less contact, the less contagion, and we are entering a phase in which cases are increasing.”
“A case in a school, two, three or four more or less isolated does not have the same meaning as two or three or four cases that communicate a lot with other people who move from room to room, who share meals”He explained.
And the area outside the schools?
On the other hand, the exterior of the school also conditions the decision. For these reasons, the risk assessment will always be done by the health authority of the respective school, he stressed.
Will there be an inspection around the schools to avoid gatherings and outbreaks of infection?
The Health Minister said that all people are “public health agents” and this “is a moment” of individual and collective responsibility.
“I understand the concerns that everyone may have about what may be less appropriate behavior to respect the rules, but I also know that we can count on civil society to alert, in particular, the youngest, the school community, parents when the rules don’t apply. they are respected, ”said Marta Temido.
Then, he stressed, there are mechanisms such as the Safe School and the intervention of the security forces that also help to control these situations.
“I believe that we are in a period of adaptation to the regular operation of schools, and we have a regulatory framework that allows us to frame eventual risks,” said Marta Temido.
What about minors forced to remain isolated?
The Health Minister said, at the usual DGS press conference, that parents of underage students who are forced to remain in isolation due to COVID-19 have the right to stay with their children.
Teachers without telework option
Regarding the position of the teachers, the general secretary of Fenprof, Mário Nogueira, was this Friday afternoon at SIC Notícias to analyze the situation of the teachers who belong to groups at risk and unable to telework.
Mário Nogueira said that the Ministry of Education did not guarantee the conditions for the safe return to school of teachers belonging to these groups.
Portugal with 3 more deaths and 687 new cases of Covid-19
The General Directorate of Health (DGS) announced on Friday the existence of 1,855 deaths and 62,813 cases of Covid-19 in Portugal since the start of the pandemic.
The number of deaths rose from 1,852 to 1,855, 3 more than on Thursday: two deaths were recorded in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region and another in the Algarve region.
The number of infected increased from 62,126 to 62,813, plus 687, the highest number of new cases since April 16.
35,712 contacts remain under surveillance, 531 more than Thursday.
There are 203 more people recovered from the disease, a total of 43,644.
The number of hospitalized patients fell to 404 (minus two) and the number of hospitalized patients in intensive care units fell to 54 (minus three).
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