The Education Board has postponed the deadline for 90% of secondary students to get three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine so that they can attend whole-day classes. The new deadline has been extended by three months and is now February 1, 2023. In addition, from December 1, 2022, primary schools can resume full-day in-person classes if their students have a 70% two-dose vaccination rate.
According to a government press release issued on Tuesday, secondary schools can continue to have full-day classes until January 31, 2023 even if less than 90% of their students are triple-vaccinated. However, if an entire school cannot get the required vaccination rate by the deadline, individual classes that do can continue with whole-day classes. Secondary students who want to take part in extra-curricular activities must still get a third shot.
Primary schools have only been able to hold half-day classes so far, but an entire school or individual classes that achieve the 70% double-vaccination requirement by December 1 can start full-day face-to-face classes. Students who have already received two shots of a Covid-19 vaccine can take part in extra-curriculars and some mask-off activities from October 26.
Kindergartens are still only allowed to have half-day classes, irrespective of the vaccination rate among their students. Students and teachers in all schools must also continue to undergo daily rapid antigen testing and may only enter school premises if they test negative for the virus.
The government also extended the regulation that covers the vaccine pass by six months. Cap. 599L — the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation — was supposed to expire on December 31, 2022, but has been extended till June 30, 2023.
Header image credits: eggeggjiew via Canva
Add comment