Observe protocols, schools told

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NATIONAL Pandemic Response Controller and Police Commissioner David Manning has called on all schools throughout the country to observe the Covid-19 protocols as the 2021 academic year begins.
Manning said every institution from primary schools up to tertiary had to observe measures in the new normal.
He said all institutions needed to ensure that students complied with measures in the “new normal” under the Covid-19.
Manning said washing of hands and wearing of masks needed to be enforced and institutions had to ensure proper hand-washing facilities were built in schools. The measures in the “new normal” which Manning made reference include:

  • Clean your hands often. Wash with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitiser;
  • Keep a physical distance of 1.5-meters between yourself and others;
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
  • Greet others with a smile, a nod or a simple hello – no handshakes, no fist bumps and no high fives;
  • Cough and sneeze in your bent elbow and not your hands;
  • Limit social gathering and time spent in crowded places;
  • Wear a face mask or face covering in all public places to protect yourself and others; and,
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Meanwhile, the country’s Covid-19 cases stands at 867, with nine known deaths.

A total of 42,789 people have been tested for the Covid-19, with 828 people having recovered while 104 samples are pending at the laboratories; 30 active cases are in isolation.
Sixteen provinces, including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, have reported cases.