A security phase with a test and mask requirement applies again. The current infection numbers would “not really play a role for Monday”, but the ministry is of course keeping an eye on them and is in close contact with the Covid crisis coordination “Gecko”.
According to Polaschek, there is no specific limit for the number of infections up to which, according to expert recommendations, schools can be kept open. Many factors would have to be taken into account here, such as the infection situation in a region and the hospital occupancy rate; Based on this, the decisions would then be made. “We’ll see how that will develop in the next few weeks. But on Monday we can definitely assume that we can start school again.”
For the safest possible school operation, Polaschek continues to rely on the previous security concept: Corona tests take place three times a week, at least one of which must be a more meaningful PCR test, the rest of the antigen rapid tests. In Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria there were already two PCR tests per week before the holidays, and the other federal states will follow suit from January 17th. This would mean that over two million PCR tests per week would be carried out in schools in the future.
Consistent mask requirement
As has been the case since mid-November, all age groups are required to wear a mask. An information campaign is also intended to further increase the vaccination rate among schoolchildren; around 50 percent are currently fully immunized.
With a view to infections that the children and adolescents could bring to schools from the holiday season, Polaschek appealed to students and parents to definitely carry out a corona test before Monday. The students had received an extra antigen test for this before the holidays. Where possible, however, the safer PCR tests should be used, as was added to the APA in the ministry.
Experts expect high staff absences
Polaschek referred to the health authorities regarding the demand from Vienna’s City Councilor for Education, Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS), to loosen the quarantine rules in schools in Omikron cases in order to prevent large-scale class closings. He could not say whether they will reassess them on the basis of expert recommendations. “But I am in good spirits that after many teachers have been vaccinated, all of them will be tested, masks will be worn, the cases in schools will not be so high.”
In view of the more contagious Omikron variant, experts expect high staff losses in the critical infrastructure, including in schools. How many failures the school system could cope with cannot be quantified, according to Polaschek. That depends very much on how many classes and whether subjects are affected that can be supplemented by others at short notice. “We have definitely taken numerous precautionary measures to be able to cope with short-term failures.”
Specifically, according to the ministry, the pool of student teachers who can replace failed teachers has been reactivated. There are 1,200 people available here. At smaller locations where several teachers are infected with Corona, however, a switch to distance learning may also be necessary at certain points.
Source: Nachrichten
