Coronavirus: All staff in Dubai schools must undergo PCR test

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the KHDA

All school staff members, including teachers, are required to undergo a PCR test for Covid-19 before they resume duties as schools reopen for the new session, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said on Thursday.

"It makes it comfortable for everyone around them," Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the KHDA said.

The testing facilities will be based in seven schools in Dubai.

"It will take all of us to come together to make sure that we are adhering to those standards because our safety is important, and the safety of others is important. I hope they will all enjoy the experience of going back to school," he said.
The KHDA encouraged parents and students to focus on the positives of the school reopening while ensuring preventive measures are strictly followed.

Emphasising the importance of celebrating the human side of the reopening he said: "While we have the precautions in place and adhere to it, we have to understand it's going to be an exciting time. We're going to see people we haven't seen in six months. We're going to hear stories. We're going to talk about it. Let's focus on the positive side of going back and meeting friends and sharing a laugh."

"Let us not forget the joy and the fun and the good feeling we get from seeing our friends. We look forward to the stories. It is such an important day for all of us. When you're back to school, you're back to life."

Dr. Al Karam was responding to questions as part of #AskDXBOfficial, an initiative of the government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) that gives the public a chance to ask questions to Dubai's senior government officials. The #AskDXBOfficial initiative is aligned with GDMO's objective of creating platforms that allow the community to clarify issues and concerns with government officials. The second #AskDXBOfficial interaction featured a series of questions on procedures and protocols being followed by schools following the reopening and addressed concerns parents have regarding safety.

Schools will be following specific health and safety guidelines to protect students and staff, Dr. Al Karam said. All schools have submitted detailed re-opening readiness plans that outline safety measures, including social distancing, temperature checks, PE lessons, break times, and school start times.

"More than a month ago, the Dubai government created a very clear protocol for schools and education. It is a very thorough protocol designed by specialists and it's always been on the conservative side because we have over 300,000 kids going to school," he said. KHDA will be monitoring all schools in Dubai in collaboration with key authorities to ensure they are continuing to follow precautionary measures to protect students and staff.