Educations and Health Special Needs Centers

عربي

AIM

To provide guidance to children, parents and staff to facilitate reopening of special needs centers and at the same time have effective measures in place to protect the health of staff and clients by reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission as much as practicable.

COMPLIANCE OFFICER

A dedicated COVID-19 Compliance Officer should be appointed for every facility responsible for ensuring compliance with this guidance, and the education and awareness of staff and customers of rules and guidance.

GENERAL GUIDANCE

Special needs centers can operate with up to 100% capacity, while maintaining physical distancing requirements.
In case any staff or child tests positive, the center needs to be closed for 14 days and the employee and or child must get retested before attending the center
Center management must maintain awareness of all MOPH issued guidance and updates and must ensure distribution to all employees
It is prohibited to bring children who have had contact with confirmed positive cases and parents must sign a written agreement attesting that their children have not been in contact with confirmed cases
Absolutely no visitors are to be allowed in the center
Subcontracted maintenance and cleaning staff are not permitted in the center during working hours and must comply with all precautions (masks, temperature, Ehteraz) before being allowed entry

REGULATING ENTRY AND EXIT

Measure temperature of staff, parents, carers and children on entry. Entry only for those at temperature below 37.8 degrees
Etheraz App to be downloaded by all staff, nannies, and parents, entry for green status only.
Personal vehicle drop off and pick-ups only.
Advise against crowding during pick-up, and if possible, avoid pick up by older family or community members (e.g. grandparents).
Restrict to one parent/ carer accompanying each child.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Only 1:1 sessions and small group sessions up to 15 person per class will be allowed.
Keep 1.5 meters minimum distance between people at all times
Staff gatherings should not exceed 15 people, each at 1.5m distance from each other, and wearing masks.
Stagger staff in shifts to prevent spread of infection.
Stagger break times to limit number of staff gathering, and maintain 1.5m physical distancing at all time.

INFECTION, PREVENTION, AND CONTROL

Mandatory staff COVID-19 testing as per MOPH guidelines
Masks to be worn by all adult at all times (staff and carers)
Hand washing and/or hand sanitizers for frequent hand hygiene for staff and students, especially for young children, and provide sufficient alcohol-based rub or soap and clean water stations at entrances and exits and throughout the facilities.
Staff to wear full PPE (masks and gloves) for close contact appointments with clients, changing masks and gloves between each appointment
Ensure heavy ventilation in place in all indoor areas (refer to MoPH Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC Guideline)
Routine cleaning and disinfection of all areas of the facility each day, keeping a housekeeping log.
Schedule at least 15 minutes between each 1:1 session to clean and disinfect the room (all equipment, frequently touched surfaces, etc)
Make available an isolation room for anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 and notify health authorities.
Enforce the policy of “staying at home if unwell” for pupils and staff with symptoms. If possible, connect with local organizations to provide home care support
Ensure individuals who have been in contact with a COVID-19 case stay home for 14 days. The center officials should notify public health authorities in case of a positive COVID-19 case.
Provision of extra masks to replace used, wet or dropped masks
Adherence to precautions during breaks and meal times and prohibition of any form of sharing food or utensils between children.
Storage of all cleaning and disinfection supplies in locked cabinets and ensuring sterilizers bottles are out of children’s reach.
Toys and educational tools should not be shared between children and all activities requiring direct contact with children should be minimized.
Equipment or toys that cannot be cleaned and sanitized should not be used.
Establish procedures for students or staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 or are feeling unwell in any way to be sent home and immediately isolated from others.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Educate clients about COVID-19 prevention, this includes appropriate and frequent hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, mask use, symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if you feel sick.
Create a checklist for parents/students /staff to decide whether students /staff can go to come to the facility, and with due consideration for the local epidemiology of COVID-19.
Inform parents about the measures the centers are putting in place and ask for cooperation to report any cases of COVID-19 that occur in the household. If someone in the household is suspected to have COVID-19, keep the child home
Distribute copies of MOPH precautions to reduce the spread of infection in children with special needs

MONEY HANDLING

Minimize cash transactions, use cards and contactless where possible.
Wipe down and sanitize credit card readers, etc.

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Vulnerable staff members to remain at home.
Utilize distance learning for vulnerable children, if special considerations are not practicable.

COVID-19 Services Assistant خدمة المساعدة الخاصة بكوفيد-19