The Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) released a video with instructions for student self-testing, which is carried out in four main steps, reports 24 Sata.
The goal of student self-testing is to increase the probability of holding classes in person, on the school premises, for as long as possible by abolishing self-isolation measures (quarantine).
“An additional goal is to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 in school and the family. The regular self-testing measure is voluntary. However, for its successful and effective implementation, it is important that as many students as possible participate in regular self-testing,” says the Croatian Public Health Institute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=ZU2N_cq1j-0
Self-testing is conducted in four main steps:
1. Read the instructions for use and wash your hands.
2. Take a test sample.
3. Conduct testing.
4. Find out the result in 15-20 minutes.
What if the result is positive, and what if it is negative?
– negative result – the student goes to school,
– positive result – the student stays at home, reports to the doctor and the school.
Recall, on February 9, the Ministry of Science and Education sent instructions to principals regarding student self-testing in Croatia.
Index.hr reported that the Civil Protection Headquarters would deliver rapid antigen tests to schools, after which the schools distribute the tests to parents or guardians or students. Testing is conducted once a week by a parent, guardian, or student. If the test result is positive, information about the positive test is reported to the educational institution’s selected family doctor or pediatrician.
All students with a negative result continue to attend classes regularly, and if they test positive, they do not come to school. Testing is repeated for the entire class in which positive test results are determined the first day after a student receives a positive Covid test.
Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs commented on student self-testing in an interview with HRT, confirming that the distribution of tests had begun.
Fuchs called the process of rapid antigen testing “a de facto process of abolishing self-isolation for students so that all those who are not ill are in school.” However, he also said that this was not a step towards mandatory testing or vaccination.
Fuchs said the first part of the tests, about 300,000, went to Dalmatia on February 8.
“Of course, we are going to the islands as a priority, as it is a bit more challenging to distribute there, and that’s why we went to the Dalmatian regions first.
The rest, up to a million, were expected to arrive at civil protection warehouses on February 9, and the moment these tests were received, they immediately moved on to schools. So I think by the end of the week or early next week, all schools will have tests available,” Fuchs said a few days ago.
“We have said that this student testing is voluntary and that parents will declare in one piece of paper whether or not they will conduct testing of their child,” he said.
“All those who refuse, nothing will happen to them, nor the children, of course, except that the moment a positive student appears in the class, or possibly someone from that child’s environment becomes ill, that child will have to go into isolation,” Fuchs said.
He also said that these tests are very similar to those that can be bought in pharmacies and that, unlike PCR, it is not inserted deep into the nose with a test cotton swab or stick. Still, a swab is taken from the front of the nasal cavity, and it is a straightforward procedure.
Fuchs also said that parents who will not test their children and say that they were negative would not be traced because they do not intend to apply any repressive measures.
“I hope the parents are responsible enough and won’t cheat because this is done so that the education system would virtually abolish self-isolation using a self-testing system,” he said.
Fuchs also said that if the number of positive results dropped significantly, in February, they would switch to the testing variant only in those classes when it is ordered. After that, it would be ordered when a positive case occurs.
“And after that, we would go for the complete abolition of both testing and self-isolation if the data from the field justify it,” Fuchs said. He also said that they did not consider testing children in kindergartens.
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