Summer vacation is nearly over, meaning school is right around the corner for Taiwan’s students. After an extended period of school closures due to a COVID-19 outbreak in mid-May, in-person classes will be back in session. In order to ensure the safety and health of students, Taiwan’s schools are ramping up their prevention measures.
If your first name is ‘COVID’ and your last name is ‘19’ then you better watch out, because this guy has a leaf blower full of disinfectant. He cleans out a classroom thoroughly, sparing no corner or crevice, because come September, this classroom will be full of students.
Out in the hallway, containers of disinfectant are readily available for students to keep their surroundings clean. On the other side of the school, administrators have set up tents, so students who develop COVID-19 symptoms can quickly be isolated from the rest.
Back in the classroom, students will have access to face shields, masks, and plenty of soap to keep up with their prevention. Each student also has a collapsible partition which has a mask hanger to use during lunch time.
This school is also taking steps to make sure its faculty are vaccinated come the beginning of the school year. Principal Chen Tsung-Ching says 95% of his staff have gotten a vaccine and those who haven’t are registered for one.
The return of in-person classes must come with strict prevention and due caution. After all, the only thing students should get at school is an education, not COVID-19.