Schools in Zimbabwe opened on Monday after being delayed by the Coid-19 pandemic. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed the following ways of maintaining healthy environments at learning institutions.
Keep classes well-ventilated
-Ventilation is one component of maintaining healthy environments and is an important COVID-19 prevention strategy for schools and childcare programs.
-Wearing a well-fitting, multi-layer mask helps prevent virus particles from entering the air or being breathed in by the person wearing a mask. Good ventilation is another step that can reduce the number of virus particles in the air.
-It is important to bring in as much outdoor air as possible.
-If safe to do so, open windows and doors. Even just cracking open a window or door helps increase outdoor airflow, which helps reduce the potential concentration of virus particles in the air.
-Use child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows. Safely secure fans in a window to blow potentially contaminated air out and pull new air in through other open windows and doors.
-Consider having activities, classes, or lunches outdoors when circumstances allow.
Use exhaust fans in restrooms and kitchens.
-Inspect and maintain exhaust ventilation systems in restrooms and kitchens.
-Ensure restroom and kitchen exhaust fans are on and operating at full capacity while the school or childcare program is occupied and for 2 hours afterwards.
Open windows in transportation vehicles.
– Opening vehicle windows even a little bit can improve ventilation.
-Ventilation is important on buses and vans servicing schools and childcare programs, along with other strategies such as mask use for people over 2 years old and physical distancing.
-Keep vehicle windows open when it does not create a safety or health hazard. Having more windows open is more helpful, but even just cracking a few windows open is better than keeping all windows closed.
