From the 30th onwards, wearing masks indoors will be eased from ‘mandatory’ to ‘recommended’. Wearing masks in schools and academies is becoming voluntary.
The Ministry of Education identified and guided detailed standards to be applied by private schools and academies at all levels, focusing on cases, so that it is easy to understand situations where exceptional mandatory maintenance or operational recommendation is required.
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The following are detailed standards relating to school and academy masks and questions and answers for each case.
C1. How is the obligation to wear masks indoors in schools (including academies) modified?
A. From the 30th, according to the quarantine authorities ‘Mask Prevention Guidelines Compliance Order and Guide for Imposition of Fines for Negligence (7th Edition)’, the wearing of masks indoors in schools (including academies) will be modified from compulsory wearing to voluntary.
However, the quarantine authorities maintain the obligation to wear it indoors in facilities open to infection, medical institutions, pharmacies and public transport. In addition, we strongly recommend that you wear a mask if:
C2. What is the basis for the head of a school (academy) to control the obligations and recommendations for wearing masks indoors?
A. In accordance with the ‘Management Guidelines for Compliance with Disinfection Guidelines Wearing Masks and Imposing Fines through Negligence (7th Edition)’, managers/operators of facilities (schools/academies) post and inform users of quarantine guidelines on obligations/recommendations for wearing masks. makes it happen.
Q3. What is the difference between a duty and a recommendation?
A. The obligation is binding under the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases Act, and fines are imposed in case of breach.
On the other hand, the recommendation is not legally binding, but it recommends individual voluntary practice in situations where wearing a mask is essential for the safety of my health and high risk groups.
Q4. Under what circumstances is it compulsory to wear a mask indoors in the school (academy)?
A. The obligation to wear a mask is maintained when using public transport for school or school, commuting / school vehicles (including direct operation), school trips, and buses for field trips.
Q5. Among the situations where the quarantine authorities strongly recommend wearing masks indoors, what is the 3rd density indoor environment (closed, dense, close) where ventilation is difficult?
A. This may be the case when it is difficult to maintain a physical distance of more than 1 m from others due to large crowds in a poorly ventilated indoor environment.
※ Outstanding places of quarantine authorities: elevators, etc.
Q6. Among the situations where the quarantine authorities recommend wearing masks indoors, and if so, can it be judged that there are many activities of producing droplets such as shouting and singing in a crowded situation?
A. In a crowded situation, it can be seen as a case where it is difficult to physically maintain a distance of more than 1m from others.
Instances where high droplet production can be determined are situations where the national anthem and school song are sung in chorus at various group events such as indoor music classes, entrance ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, performances, and school arts events . , and situations where group cheering during a match in an indoor gymnasium (participating players) may be relevant.
※ When visiting indoor exhibition halls, indoor stadiums, etc. during field trips, school trips, and training activities, please follow the guidance of the relevant organization.
Q7. Can it be recommended to wear only “when shouting and chorus” instead of “the whole time of the event” when shouting and chorusing in a crowded indoor event?
A. Judgment is needed when considering how long the action that produces droplets, such as shouting and chanting, lasts and repeats.
Even if droplet production such as shouting and chorus is temporarily stopped, if the situation is expected to repeat for a certain period of time, it is recommended to continue wearing it for that period.
Q8. Among the high-risk groups for whom quarantine authorities strongly recommend wearing masks indoors, what are the cases for people with immunosuppression and underlying diseases?
A. The range of major diseases that correspond to children and young people with immunosuppressed patients and underlying diseases are ▲ chronic lung disease, chronic heart disease, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, neuromuscular disease ▲ diabetes, obesity, immunosuppressive (users taking immunosuppressive drugs), etc. The same.
C9. It is strongly recommended that you wear a mask indoors for two weeks when you are in contact with a confirmed case.
A. Given that the maximum incubation period for COVID-19 is 14 days, it is strongly recommended that those who have been in contact with a confirmed person wear a mask indoors for 2 weeks.
For information, the quarantine authorities cite as an example a case where a contact has a history of contact, such as talking for more than 15 minutes at a distance of less than 1m without wearing a mask from 2 days before the symptom onset date or the sample collection date the confirmed patient.
Q10. How should schools teach strongly recommended situations?
A. The quarantine authorities decided and distributed the position of mandatory mask wearing recommendations when revising the ‘Compliance Order and Manual of Negligence Preventing the Wearing of Masks’ to reflect the adjustments in the first stage of mandatory mask wearing indoors, which will be enforced on the 30th . .
According to the guidebook, the head of school (academy), which is the managing body of the facility, is asked to carry out a leadership and ongoing publicity role for students and faculty so that the obligation to wear a mask and the recommendation can be maintained. the situation can be acted upon well.
In the case of dormitories, toothbrush rooms, and cafeterias that are relatively open to infection, frequent ventilation and instruction to refrain from conversation to prevent droplets, coughing etiquette, and hand washing are also instructed to comply with individual quarantine rules.
Q11. What is the plan to review school quarantine guidelines in preparation for the new semester 2023?
A. In the future, we intend to provide quarantine guidelines to schools, including self-diagnosis requests, fever checks, ventilation and disinfection, etc.
Therefore, until separate revision guidelines are published, the current quarantine guidelines for schools (8th-1st edition) must be followed.
