How Will Pandemic Rules Be Implemented in Schools?

Pandemic Rules: How Will They Be Applied in Schools? As schools reopen with the pandemic continuing, careful attention to hygiene is essential. In-person education, suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, resumes five days a week across all education levels as of 6 September 2021. Following nearly two years of Covid-19 pandemic impact worldwide, students who were forced to continue their education from home are counting down to the reopening of schools. Experts emphasize the need to comply with mask, distancing and hygiene rules given the ongoing nature of the outbreak. The health of students and teachers must be secured through strict measures implemented in schools. What measures should schools take? What hygiene precautions should be implemented in areas used collectively by students and teachers? Hakan Mete, Marketing and Business Development Manager at Nilco Türkiye, who provides effective solutions with customized hygiene plans for venues such as schools, hotels, restaurants and cafes, made the following remarks on the subject:

School Entrances and Corridors

First and foremost, school entrances and corridors must be disinfected thoroughly. All students and teachers should have their temperature checked at the school entrance, and hand disinfection stations should be available at regular intervals throughout the school. The floor, walls and all surfaces that children may touch must be routinely disinfected during the day using professional equipment.

Air Disinfection

In all areas of the school, the filters of cooling and heating systems must be cleaned and disinfected. Additionally, given pandemic conditions, the routine disinfection of environmental air must be applied.

Shared Materials

School desks, tables and all contact surfaces in classrooms must be regularly disinfected, and the environment must be ventilated during breaks. Shared-use materials such as chalk, pencils, erasers, sports equipment, balls that children play with, basketball hoops, goal posts and similar items must be routinely and regularly cleaned with disinfectants.

Toilet Hygiene

Toilets used by students and teachers rank among the highest-risk areas. The interiors of toilets, toilet bowls and covers, flush handles, door handles touched by hand, taps and soap dispensers; floors, washbasins, waste bins and ventilation filters in the space must be disinfected carefully.

Cafeterias and Staff Rooms

The floors and walls of dining areas, tables, chairs, service sets, and all shared-use items such as tea dispensers, coffee dispensers, water coolers and waste bins must be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Ventilation and air conditioning filters in these areas must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Additionally, seating areas, floors, walls and all items such as tea dispensers, coffee dispensers and water coolers in staff rooms must be cleaned and disinfected.