Regarding the prevention of Covid-19 infection spread at schools, kindergartens and nurseries 学校園における新型コロナウイルス感染症の感染拡大予防について 英語翻訳版

Tamba Sasayama Board of Education

Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation in the education and day-care program in this city.
We also thank you for your help and support with preventative measures at home, by making sure your children wear masks and checking their temperatures every day.
It has been over 2 months since schools and kindergartens opened in June. For this school year, the summer vacation is from August 8th to August 23rd, which is shortened so that we can secure the children’s learning opportunities. Nurseries and Kodomo-en also opened from June for regular day-care service. Now that the rainy season is over, we need to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while we protect children from the increasing heat of summer.
Therefore, we would like to inform you about the preventative measures at school, and ask for your continuing help and support with health observation and prevention of the Covid-19 infection for your precious children.

  1. Health observation: Please continue to check your children’s health and temperature every morning.
  2. Regarding masks: We usually ask children to wear masks, but because of the concern of heat stroke due to the increase in temperature, we ask you to make it a priority to take measures against heat stroke such as taking off masks while commuting to and from school. At schools and kindergartens, we will also make it a priority to prevent heat stroke when the children get involved with sports such as PE class and club activities.
  3. To enhance immunity: Please make sure that children have enough sleep, a balanced diet, and moderate exercise. During this summer vacation, please try to have a regular consistent schedule.
  4. In the case of fever and/or common cold symptoms:
    (1) In case of severe cold symptoms
    If the children have a fever, severe cough, breathing difficulties, heaviness, loss of smell or taste, first of all consult with your home doctor or call and visit the Tamba Health and Welfare office (Coronavirus Consultation Center 0795-73-3764), in which case please notify your school/kindergarten etc. If the child has to take the day off, his/her attendance record will not show the “absent” but “suspension of attendance”.
    As a general rule, a child will be sent home in case of fever and feeling sick at school. The teacher will communicate with the parents when that happens. (2) In the case of light common cold symptoms such as a sore throat and a runny nose.
    If the symptoms persist, please make sure to consult with your home doctor or Tamba Health and Welfare office (Coronavirus Consultation Center 0795-73-3764). Please make sure to notify the result to the teachers/care givers. In this case, we might ask the child to take some days off from school for health observation.
  5. How to deal with a case of infection or close contacts.
    (1) Please notify the teacher when:
    -a family member who lives together was found to be infected with Covid-19.
    -a family member who lives together (or who doesn’t live together but meets frequently) took the test because of suspicion of Covid-19 infection, or if the person is recognized as a close contact
    (2) When a student or child was found infected
    The attendance record of the student/child will state “suspension of attendance” from the day that the student/child is found infected till the day a medical facility diagnoses that the person is officially cured,
    (3) When a student/child is recognized as a close contact
    The attendance record of the child/student will state “suspension of attendance” from the day the child/student is recognized as a close contact till the day the Health care office instruct the suspension to be over.
  6. Criteria for temporary closure
    When any students/children are found infected, we will temporarily close schools, kindergarten, nurseries and Kodomo-en for the number of days that the Health care office instruct, to disinfect buildings and to confirm the infection route. However, we might not choose the temporary closure if the infection route is outside the school facilities and the possibility of the infection within the school facilities is low.

(1) Temporal closure of the class
In case of a child found infected, we will close temporally that particular class where he/she belongs after consulting with the Health department and School doctor. The school, kindergarten, nursery, Kodomo-en will have a temporary closure after consulting with the Health department and the school doctor, in the case of several students/children being certified as close contacts, or in case there is a high possibility of spreading the infection in school.
(2) The temporary closure of a grade, a whole school/ kindergarten
When several classes of the same grade are closed, we will temporarily close the grade after consulting with the Health department and the school doctor, and if several grades are closed, the whole school will be closed.

  1. Regarding the care of a student/child who is at high risk of becoming a severe case.
    Students/children who need medical care and have other underlying diseases have a high risk of becoming a severe case once they get infected, therefore, when they come to school or kindergarten, please consult with teachers after you check the doctor’s opinion first. They will be on “suspension of attendance” on their attendance record.
  2. When students/children take days off due to anxiety of getting infected
    Starting from Monday, June 15th, when students/children took days off from school/kindergarten due to anxiety of getting infected, they will be stated as “absent” on attendance record.
  3. For more information contact:
    Tamba Health and Welfare Office (Coronavirus Consultation Center)
    0795-73-3764 (weekdays 9:00-17:30)
    Covid-19 Health Consultation Call Center 078-362-9980 (available 24/7)