Guidelines for Countermeasures in the Case Where COVID-19 Infection of Students,Teachers or Staff is Confirmed at the Schools (May 2023 Revised Edition)

For the purpose of responding promptly to a confirmed case of COVID-19 among
students, teachers or staff, it is important for schools and public health centers to cooperate
even in normal times and to be ready to respond in the initial stage, taking into accountthe transmission of COVID-19 in the region, etc.
These Guidelines are a summary of policies on how to make decisions on temporary
school closures, etc., and is available as a reference for schools and school administrators
when responding to the regional transmission.
These Guidelines are assumed to be used when each region has no criteria mentioned
here, or when school administrators and the public health centers, etc. have to discuss
how to respond to an onset of infectious diseases at school. If each region has already had
similar criteria, you may follow them.

1. Measures to be taken when an infected person is confirmed at school
If a student or a teacher/staff is confirmed with infection, the school principal shouldtake measures to suspend the attendance of the student infected, and, if the infected
person is a teacher or a staff member, the principal should prevent him/her from coming
to work using these ways such as instructing him/her to take sick leave, working from
home, and exempting him/her from the obligation of working.

2. Decisions on whether or not to suspend attendance or temporarily close the school
In the event of a COVID-19 onset at school, the school administrator usually
determines the necessity of temporary closure in part or all of the school based on theadvice of the school doctor, etc.; thereby, it is better for the school administrator toconsider conditions and the scope of temporary closure when there is a high risk oftransmission within the school in advance, and publicize them beforehand.
<Examples of the scope and conditions of temporary closure>
When COVID-19 would have been spreading in the school, please consider
suspending the attendance of the infected person, and consult with your school doctor,
etc., and consider temporary closure referring to the following.
1[Class closure]
Close the class when any of the following situation applies and COVID-19
is likely to be spreading within the class.
(1) When multiple students in a same class are infected(2) When a school administrator deems necessary to do so○* Provided, however, that an onset of COVID-19 in a person not-coming to school
during COVID-19 transmittable period must be excluded.

The word "multiple" in (1) above does not aim to focus on the number ofstudents. From viewpoint of preventing an outbreak within a class, eventhough multiple students are confirmed to be infected in a class, the class isnot necessary to be closed in the following cases; if there are no relatedtransmission routes between/among the students, or if the infection is unlikely
to be spreading beyond other students in other classes.

○The period of class closure should be approximately 5 days (including
Saturday, Sunday, and national holidays). The duration of class closure○

should be determined based on understanding of infection trend,transmission status, and the impact on students, etc.
[Grade closure]
Implement grade closure if multiple classes have been closed and theinfection is likely to be spreading across the same grade.

○[Temporary closure of the entire school]
Temporarily close the school if multiple grades have been closed and theinfection is likely to be spreading in the school.

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