This Friday, March 18, The Ministry of Health (Minsal) agreed as a new measure to condition the capacity in the classrooms to the vaccination coverage of the students. In a context in which more than 90% of those over 12 years of age have had their two vaccines, a figure that drops to over 80% in the range of 7 to 11 years and is less than 60% in children under six, according to the Ministry of Health Statistics Department.
While a recent Chilean study, carried out by professionals from the Catholic University, observed that the vaccine from the pharmaceutical company Sinovac, would have a 38.2% effectiveness in protecting against the spread of the Omicron variant in children.
The National Pandemic Response Commission – a new body made up of the Minsal authorities, division heads and 12 other specialists summoned by the ministry – established, in its first meeting, to make modifications to the “safe return” plan. Regarding the main measure, indicated above, next week the vaccination threshold would be defined, although experts assure that a minimum floor would be that 70% of those enrolled in each course are inoculated.
Other novelties would be the free mask delivery for the entire educational community, which will be financed with a special fund of resources. And the implementation of “ventilation pauses”, when the classrooms cannot always have their windows and doors open.
The Mayor of Independence, Gonzalo Durán, one of the community leaders who has been most reluctant to return in person, affirms that “these decisions are in the right direction, because they establish prevention and health protection measures for the protection of families. Plus, provides an incentive for us to promote and strive to maximize the vaccination process, in a way that allows at the same time to improve attendance levels”.
The UC pediatric infectologist, Marcela Potin, emphasizes that it is aexcellent measure, because not all schools have the same spaces and encourages the vaccination of children, That is something that should happen.”
More about Safe Return
–
In that sense, the mayor of La Reina, José Manuel Palacios, agrees that it is “a good initiative, since it encourages vaccination. In addition, it allows better control of the microclimates that are generated in each classroom” and announces that from Monday, March 21, they will begin to lift the specific vaccination status that exists per course.
Another of those who opposed the return to the classroom is the Mayor of Arica, Gerardo Espindolawho states that “Vaccination has been applied to the capacity in different parts and today it is beginning to be applied in the classroom and is in line with what corresponds. That the children are vaccinated puts us in a different scenario than the one we had in previous years to be able to enter classes.”
However, he mentions that he hopes that “As progress is made in this return, evaluations are made that generate new modifications and are adapted according to the reality of each sector of the country. What is going to happen in the south when respiratory diseases plus covid appear is going to be different from what is happening in the north. It is important that all the measures that are taken are always discussed with the local actors”.
For its part, the president of the College of Teachers, Carlos Díazshows a more critical stance, as it states that “These changes are in line with what we propose to the Ministry. But it is insufficient to think only about the issue of vaccination. It is a set of measures, it is not just the capacity, which is very important. It is also the reduction of the working day, the incorporation of new resources and giving powers to the School Council so that it is the one that defines the policies to be implemented to effectively ensure that this presence is successful and lasting”.
Gonzalo Durán agrees with Díaz that increasing resources is important, for issues such as “the infrastructure improvementbearing in mind that establishments often require replacement of windows or other things to improve ventilation conditions”.
Regarding the new Government announcements on the matter, the Teachers’ Association states that “this is an urgent issue, which cannot continue to wait. Schools throughout the country are experiencing a truly catastrophic situation. In some places there are not even teachers to teach because they are infected. However, it looks very slow how he faces. We hope that between Monday and Tuesday, at the latest, there will be a clear statement on this”.
–
