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Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a ten-day quarantine is increasingly being ordered for people who have been in contact with people who have tested positive. This measure is prescribed by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and applies to the entire population. According to the current state of knowledge, this is fundamentally important and correct, writes Councilor Cécile Kohler (CVP) in an interpellation.
However, these instructions also apply to children if, for example, their kindergarten teacher must be quarantined due to illness. That means: only the child should be quarantined, but not their parents or siblings. For example, a five-year-old has to stay alone in her room for ten days, eat there, and is only allowed to be with the family at a sufficient distance, Kohler writes. Contact persons are also asked to wear protective masks if a safety distance cannot be maintained.
The quarantine rule for young children can hardly be enforced
It is difficult for a kindergarten child to comply with quarantine rules, and it will also be “difficult for parents to keep their child at a sufficient distance,” Kohler is convinced. Furthermore, according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to participation and education, as well as leisure and games. Kohler emphasizes in his approach:
For her it is clear: “It is not the best for the child if a child without symptoms of illness is ‘locked up’ for ten days and is not allowed to go out the front door or onto the playground accompanied by a parent.” This should be allowed, but of course without contact with other people.
That’s why Kohler is now asking the government numerous questions. You want to know how the margin of discretion is used when ordering the quarantine for children 0-6 years old in Aargau. But also the period within which the cantonal contact tracing center will contact the parents and what support the parents receive. Finally, Kohler asks: “How are the rights of the child and the best interests of the child guaranteed in the context of quarantine?”
Mandatory mask for three weeks at Sins institute
Meanwhile, it emerged on Tuesday that the canton is introducing a three-week mask requirement throughout the school area after corona cases. This is because the infection of those infected cannot be exclusively traced back to the school camp and the school grounds are also a potential site of infection, according to the Aargau Health Department.
So far, 28 people have tested positive
So far, 28 people have tested positive for the virus after the first infections after a class camp. As a result, the canton imposed a ten-day quarantine for 130 schoolchildren, more than 10 teachers, and more than 60 family and non-school contacts.
In principle, children of preschool or school age are not considered in close contact with each other if there is no backlog of cases. This accumulation occurs in the upper level Sins, which is why the cantonal medical service and the contact tracing center ordered quarantine measures, the canton announced. The mask requirement at Sins applies until Sunday, October 4 for everyone on the school premises. A limited post-infection mask requirement has already been introduced at Kanti Wettingen. Canton doctor Yvonne Hummel has had positive experiences with him.
