The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Ministry of Health (MoH) has prepared and submitted the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to the government and Ministry of Education (MoE), if schools and institutions reopen.
MoH has also carried out a risk assessment in reopening the schools. Health Minister Dechen Wangmo said the risks would result from contact intensity, number of contacts and modification potential.
If schools, institutions, offices or businesses are to open then the risk modification interventions and common response are to be made mandatory and followed by everyone. Mandatory use of the Druk Trace App, adequate hand washing facilities or hand sanitizer, physical distancing must be made available along with regular advocacy on COVID-19 prevention.
Schools and educational institutions on reopening will also have to modify class time, class size and classrooms, ensure proper ventilation in the classrooms, no activities requiring large gathering, use of open space for any unavoidable gathering, rearrangement of hostels and dining halls so that there is proper physical distancing, daily health screening and monitoring and restricting visitors.
A trained focal person for COVID-19 will be deployed in the schools who will directly report to the ministry in case of any student shows COVID-19 symptoms or any flu like symptoms and will be kept in an isolation room in the school. MoH will also identify the quarantine facilities outside schools, in case there are positive cases.
