CAIRO: Egypt will not close down schools or postpone the start of the academic year, Reda Abou Sera, deputy minister of education, said.
Any school that reports H1N1 cases will be dealt with individually, he added.
As the start of the academic year approaches, the Ministry of Education is taking precautionary measures to limit the spread of the virus. Public schools are scheduled to begin after Ramadan on Sept. 26, while the majority of private schools are starting this week.
Eleven new cases of H1N1 were reported in Egypt this week, raising the total number to 727 cases, according to a statement by the Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC).
Two women and nine men – all Egyptian – tested positive for H1N1. Seven contracted the virus in Egypt, two in Saudi Arabia, one in Hungary and one in Turkey. They are currently in stable condition and are receiving treatment.
A total of 600 cases have recovered and were released from the hospital.
A joint committee between the Ministries of Education and Health will be meeting to outline the necessary precautionary measures schools need to take.
According to a Ministry of Education statement, schools need to take several simple steps to avoid the virus, which include having isolation rooms, ensuring proper ventilation and maintaining overall hygiene, especially in bathrooms.
The American University in Cairo (AUC), where the first cases of swine flu in Egypt appeared in its dormitory, is preparing for the upcoming academic year and taking steps to mitigate problems that may result from the reoccurrence of the virus.
“While there have been no reports of the virus on campus, the university recognizes that due to the fact that H1N1 has been termed a global pandemic, it is essential that the entire AUC community work collaboratively to ensure the heath and safety of faculty, staff and students, said Brian MacDougall, vice president for Planning and Administration, in a statement to the AUC community.
The university has implemented policies on both campuses to increase and intensify cleaning efforts by custodial staff. They also advised students, faculty and staff who exhibit flu-like symptoms to stay home until they recover, without taking fever-reducing medicines.
The on-campus residence will remain unoccupied to serve as an isolation facility for the students living at the campus dormitory.
There is also an isolation room on campus for anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms, keeping them away from other students. The university also urges anyone exhibiting symptoms to visit the clinic.
The seasonal flu vaccine will be available in September.
Some Gulf countries have taken more stringent measures and postponed the start of the school year. Kuwait’s Minister of Education said Sunday the country will delay the reopening of kindergartens for two months for fear of swine flu spreading since there has been more than 1,300 cases reported, according to AFP.
In addition, all schools in Bahrain will have isolation rooms and teams to monitor students for swine flu. Students in public schools will have their temperature checked on arrival for signs of fever, every day for the first week of the new term, starting next month, said a report in the Gulf Daily News.
