Those under quarantine can return to school with negative ART result
This also applies to students and staff on leave of absence or approved absence
Students and staff under quarantine order can return to school from today if they feel well and get a negative antigen rapid test (ART) result for Covid-19 the day before.
This also applies to those on a leave of absence or an approved absence.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board issued updated Covid-19 measures for primary and secondary schools, special education schools, junior colleges, Millennia Institute and institutes of higher learning.
It comes after Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Saturday said there would be a streamlined set of rules for Covid-19 patients and close contacts as part of efforts to simplify the process of managing the virus.
MOE said it will no longer issue leave of absence or approved absence for those in primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute.
From today, the Health Ministry will also issue a seven-day health risk warning (HRW) to students in close contact with a confirmed case. Those on HRW will be allowed to return to school after their first negative ART self-test.
The Health Ministry's website said those on HRW have to self-isolate and test themselves with an ART kit on the day that the HRW is issued.
NORMAL ACTIVITIES
They are allowed to continue with normal activities for the day if this test is negative and have to continue getting negative ART results for six subsequent days.
Following national protocols, people confirmed to have the virus or on stay-home notice will not be allowed to return to school until the end of the isolation order or stay-home notice.
Candidates on HRW will also be allowed to sit their national year-end examinations from today.
Under new rules, these students are now permitted to take public transport to and from their exam venue. But they have to inform their school of their intention to sit the exams and meet the Health Ministry's test protocol requirements.
They will need to test negative for Covid-19 with an ART kit on the first day of being issued a HRW and on the day of their exams before leaving home. On arrival in school, they must show a photo of their ART kits with the negative test results.
Meanwhile, those on medical leave will be allowed to sit the national year-end exams if they have fully recovered.
However, a candidate who is symptomatic and has been prescribed a polymerase chain reaction test by a healthcare professional should continue to self-isolate until the result is out and negative.
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