Schools in São Paulo stop suspending classes due to Covid cases

Faced with the increase in cases of Covid-19 in the city and dozens of cases of schools that suspended face-to-face classes, the City of São Paulo published this Tuesday (21) an ordinance saying that it no longer recommends the removal of all students from a room or unit even after confirmation of a Covid case.

According to the text, published by the Municipal Health and Education Departments, schools should not remove students or employees without symptoms, even if they have had contact with someone with suspected or confirmed infection.

In recent weeks, dozens of schools in the municipal network have decided to suspend all or part of face-to-face classes after registering positive cases. THE Sheet showed that there was no standardization between the units on which protocol to follow.

The city government also did not know how many schools suspended classes.

Until then, the prefecture protocol defined that all those who had had contact with the person who was suspected or confirmed of Covid infection should be removed. With the new ordinance, those who do not have symptoms must continue with face-to-face activities.

“Asymptomatic contacts must continue with school activities, being monitored daily by the educational institution, in order to identify the presence of signs and symptoms, for 14 days after the last contact with the confirmed case. Suspected cases must be tested, removing only confirmed cases of the disease”, says the document.

The use of masks remains optional in schools, being only recommended by the prefecture.

According to the ordinance, the use of a mask will only become mandatory when two cases are confirmed in the same unit. In day care centers and preschools, the obligation applies only to adults. In elementary and high schools, it is also mandatory for students.

The obligation is valid for 14 days after confirmation of the second case of Covid.