Minister of Education says second phase of Covid testing in schools is more demanding
The Minister of Education admitted today that the second phase of testing for SARS-CoV-2 in schools is more demanding, because it requires repetition of the tests 15 days later, in municipalities with more than 120 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants. Fifteen days later there will be new tests (.) in the counties with more than 120 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 14 days , said Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, who followed the beginning of the second phase of tests at the Basic School / Kindergarten Telha Nova , in Barreiro, as part of the covid-19 pandemic control measures. “We started today the new process in which there is a sweep of all teaching and non-teaching staff, now kindergartens and first cycle - in daycare centres will also happen - and then, when the new levels of education begin to enter , this sweep will also be carried out ”, he added.
Screening tests begin Tuesday at public and private schools
More than 50 thousand public school workers as well as employees of private establishments will begin to be tested at Covid-19 on Tuesday, the Minister of Education announced on 12 March.
Day care centres, pre-school and 1st cycle schools reopen on Monday and the next day the testing campaign in those public and private schools begins. This new exercise (testing) begins on Tuesday with more than 50 thousand workers in the public system, plus workers from the private sector , said Minister Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, during a press conference to present support measures to the sectors of Economy, Labor, Culture and Education.
The covid-19 screening strategy in schools provides for a first rapid antigen test for all teachers, other employees and secondary students, which is repeated.
64 percent of parents overwhelmed by home school
An investigation carried out in Portugal, Spain and France to study the patterns and habits of students during lockdown, has revealed that 64 percent of parents were overwhelmed with schoolwork.
Researchers from the Universities Nova de Lisboa, Granada (Spain), Lille (France) and the Spanish Institute of Health Carlos III analysed the routines and interaction of students between 3 and 16 years old and their families during the first lockdown caused by the pandemic, that started in these three countries almost a year ago.
Through an online survey in which almost 3,900 households from the three countries participated, the ‘Covideducasa’ project, which is still ongoing, seeks to understand the impact of confinement and non-classroom teaching on Portuguese, Spanish and French families, the majority of whom were deemed as being middle class.
Prime Minister António Costa announced today the closure of schools at all levels of education for 15 days to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.