Important Changes to COVID Protocols [Effective from Monday 28 February 2022]
Dear Parents,
ISHCMC is committed to providing the highest quality learning experiences on campus under conditions with safe practices. We are monitoring the government guidelines closely and continue to work to ensure that we can keep as many students learning on-campus as possible.
Last week, we shared Directive #796/BYT-MT (Vietnamese and English) which outlines new guidelines as well as changes in F1 designation. Further information and clarification has been provided by the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City in Directive #548/UBND-VX (Vietnamese and English). In addition on Friday we received Directive #73/PA-UBND (Vietnamese and English) by the Thu Duc City’s People's Committee regarding prevention plans at educational institutions.
There are significant changes to be aware of in recent directives. These include the definition of close contact (F1), quarantine for F1s and F0s, and the length of quarantine and impact on return to school requirements.
Therefore, based on the changes in government directives new guidelines will be implemented at ISHCMC beginning Monday 28 February 2022.
I appreciate that this message includes a lot of information. All details have been updated on the Rhino Hub - COVID Guide for your future reference. For now, I suggest you find a comfortable place to read through the updated practices that will be applied at ISHCMC. This information includes
General Reminders
Who is Considered as Close Contact (F1)
Vaccination Records
Length of Quarantine & Protocols to Return to School
Supporting the Return to Campus
Uploading the Required Documentation
F0 identified On-Campus
FO identified Off-Campus
Return of primary classes currently in home-based learning
What communication can I expect from ISHCMC
Information Sessions for Parents
1) General Reminders
Our aim is to ensure that we are able to stay safe together and have as many of our students on campus for as many days as possible.
If sick, stay at home
It is important to remember that if your child has any symptoms, please keep them at home. If your child happens to be positive for COVID this helps ensure that other students are not exposed. Please refer to our “‘Am I Good to Go to School?” guidelines for more details
Rapid Antigen Testing
Please note that based on the official letters and the government directives if you send your child to school you are consenting to our medical team undertaking rapid antigen testing as required by the local authorities when necessary.
2) Who is a Considered a Close Contact (F1)
Any of the following are defined as close contacts:
Someone who has any direct physical contact (for example, handshake, hug, kiss, direct contact) skin , body ... ) with an identified F0
People who are within 2 meters (or the same close and narrow space) for 15 minutes or more with an F0, even if wearing masks, for example, on the bus.
People who are not wearing masks and have been within 2 meters (or the same close and narrow space) with an F0 regardless of the length of time.
People who directly care for FO without adequate personal protective equipment for example, parents caring for F0 Children at home.
The new directives now mean that we will specifically identify the close contacts of the F0 based on the definition above for Grade 1 - 12. It means that the entire class is no longer considered a F1 (except for EE and KG).
Please note, that although all F1s are required to quarantine (for 5 or 7 days) the definition of an F1, as outlined in “Who Is Considered an F1,” has changed.
F1 in Grade 1 to 12
If a student is notified that they are an F1 they must follow the protocols in the table below
Action | Vaccinated * | Unvaccinated |
Rapid antigen test | 1 Day (by ISHCMC medical team if students are on-campus OR if off-campus completed at home) | 1 Day (by ISHCMC medical team if students are on-campus OR if off-campus completed at home) |
Home quarantine / isolation | 5 days from confirmed positive result of F0 | 7 days from confirmed positive result of F0 |
RT-PCR or rapid antigen test (under medical supervision) | Day 5 Upload negative test HERE | Day 7 Upload negative test HERE |
Return to Campus | Day 6 if negative test | Day 8 if negative test |
5K Protocols | Must be followed strictly | Must be followed strictly |
Monitor Health | For next 5 days | For next 3 days |
If there is unusual signs of health (such as fever; cough; sore throat; running nose, nasal congestion; pain, fatigue, chills; gloomy or tasteless; decrease or loss of sense of smell; pan, headache; diarrhea; shortness of breath; respiratory inflammation) shall notify health authorities for monitoring, testing and handling as prescribed
*have received enough doses of COVID-19 vaccine (recorded on the certificate of COVID-19 vaccination, electronic health book or PC Covid application software) as prescribed, the last dose is given in at least 14 days, OR, recovered from COVID-19 within 03 months by the time of being identified as F1 (with discharge certificate / certificate of recovery from COVID-19)
F1 in Early Explorers & Kindergarten
When an FO is confirmed in an EE or a KG class all students in the class are considered a close contact (F1). This means that
All students must complete a 7-day home quarantine.
Students must test on Day 7 - all students must take an RT-PCR or rapid antigen test under medical supervision.
If the Day 7 test is negative, students can return to on-campus learning on Day 8.
The student’s health must be monitored by parents closely for an additional 3 days and 5K protocols must be followed strictly.
3) Vaccination Records
It is critical that our medical team have a copy of your child’s vaccination status. If the school does not have a copy of your child’s vaccination record, they will be considered ‘unvaccinated’
Your child is considered to be vaccinated if they have
received enough doses of COVID-19 vaccine (recorded on the certificate of COVID-19 vaccination, electronic health book or PC Covid application software) as prescribed, the last dose is given in at least 14 days, OR,
recovered from COVID-19 within 03 months by the time of being identified as F1 (with discharge certificate / certificate of recovery from COVID-19)
If your child is vaccinated please ensure that evidence of vaccination status is uploaded here.
4) Length of Quarantine & Protocols to Return to School
The following chart provides a summary of the actions that will help guide you if you are identified as a close contact F1,
an F1 living with F0
if you are an F0, or
you are returning to Vietnam and exiting quarantine.
The guide can be found here.
5) Supporting the Return to Campus
When our students return to campus from home-based learning, they must report to our medical team who will be located at the entrance of both our campuses.
If the students test results are negative the medical team will provide students returning with a ‘Green Rhino Pass’ to return to class.
If Day 5/Day 7 test results are negative students can return to class. The test must be via one of the following methods
Alternatively, to support the transition of our students back into on-campus learning
A Rapid Antigen Test can be conducted by our nurses or by a parent under observation by our medical team.
6) Uploading Required Documentation
At the end of the quarantine period, and before returning to campus, students must upload one of the following HERE.
Certificate of COVID Recovery
Certificate of Quarantine Completion
Report of the PCR test result or the report of Rapid Antigen Testing (completed under medical supervision)
7) F0 identified at on-campus
Grade 1 to Grade 12
If a student in Grade 2 to Grade 12 is exhibiting symptoms at school, they will be tested by our medical team. Multiple cases in a class or grade may require testing of the student's class or grade. By sending your child to school you consent to our team testing when necessary.
If as student’s rapid test is positive, they:
are sent home
should follow the guidance of the ISHCMC Medical team
If a student’s rapid test is negative:
if the student has fever or unusual symptoms, they will be sent home and the parent/guardian will be notified to take the child to a doctor immediately;
if the student does not have a fever or unusual symptoms they should monitor their health and continue to study directly at school
Early Explorers and KG
If students are on campus:
All students in the class are required to be collected by their parents
If students are off-campus:
All students will be notified not to come onto campus for the next school day via a message via the PTO WhatsApp group and a message on Seesaw
Students in EE-KG exhibiting symptoms are not tested by the ISHCMC Medical Team. The Medical team will contact their parents and when their parents arrive on campus conduct the test with the parents or ask the parents to immediately obtain a test from a medical center.
8) F0 identified at home
When a student is found to be a FO at home, it is the responsibility of the parent to keep the child and siblings home from school and immediately notify the school with the test results.
It is the responsibility of the parents/student to notify close contacts (F1) from activities that have occurred outside of school.
The school will conduct related F1 tracing of students who have had contact with the F0 in school.
9) Return of primary students currently in home-based learning
Students in following classes will return to on-campus learning as per the schedule below.
New contact tracing protocol will be applied to Grade 1-Studio 5 from Tuesday 01 March 2022.
10) What communication can I expect from ISHCMC
General information will be provided in the Rhino Weekly that is sent to families on a Friday.
It is important that you monitor your phone, email and Seesaw account so that our team is able to contact you in a timely manner to collect your child from school.
Grade 1 to Grade 12
F0 |
|
F1 Close Contact |
|
Not a Close Contact but part of the same class |
|
Early Explorers - KG
F0 |
|
F1 (Class is considered close contact) |
|
11) Information Sessions
What is Happening with COVID in HCMC?
We know that you will have a lot of questions about what is happening with COVID in HCMC and Vietnam at this time therefore we are arranging a special information session with Dr. Phi from international SoS on Monday 07 March from 5.00 - 6.00pm at Google Meet: meet.google.com/zgh-cwxs-bkt
COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children under 12
A session with Dr Jane and Dr Quy from Family Medical Practice which will focus on COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children under 12 and provide you all the information you need to know. This session will be held on at the earlier date of Monday the 28th of February at 6.30pm at Google Meet: http://meet.google.com/icn-hspa-wbb
We are committed to providing your children with the safest in-person learning environment possible and a high-quality programme. And we are equally committed to providing our community with timely and accurate updates.
We understand that this is a lot of new information and appreciate your patience and cooperation in ensuring that our community meets, and follows, government requirements as they are updated. It is imperative for the health and safety of our community.
In kindness
Kim
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Official Letters/Directives
Official Letter Number: 762/BYT-DP in English and Vietnamese regarding the isolation of COVID-19 cases and close contact cases.
Official Letter 796 Number: 796/BYT-MT in English and Vietnamese, Regarding guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control when organizing teaching and learning on campus
Official Letter 548 Number: 548/UBND-VX, in English and Vietnamese. Regarding guidelines on control of COVID-19 pandemic in educational institutions from the HCMC People's Committee.
Official Letter 73/ PA – UBND, in English and Vietnamese. Regarding prevention plan at educational institutions in Thu Duc city from the Thu Duc city people’s committee
Definition of close contact (F1) - Official Letter 762 - 21 February 2022
Close contact (F1) is one of the following cases:
People who have direct physical contact (handshake, hugging, kissing, direct contact with the skin, body...) with an identified case (F0) during the transmission period of F0.
People who wear facemasks and have contact, communication within 2 meters or in the same close and narrow space, and for a minimum of 15 minutes with (F0) while in the transmission period of F0.
People who do not wear facemasks, have contact, communication within 2 meters or in the same close and narrow space, with (F0) while in the transmission period of F0.
People who directly take care of, examine, and treat an identified case (F0) while in the transmission period of F0 without adequate use of personal protective means (PPE).
The transmission period of an identified case (F0) is calculated from 2 days before having symptom outbreak (for identified cases without symptoms, the period of transmission is calculated from 2 days before the date of having a positive test result) until the test result is negative or the value of CT≥30.
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