School is back from the 1st of September. And so are the COVID-19 rapid tests. Due to the vast growth of infection numbers, the Ministry of Education assured today that the testing would go ahead as it did in the previous school year.
Mari Annus, the ministry's spokesman, signifies that the aim is to keep educational institutes open safely. Good ventilation, disinfection of the surfaces, thorough hand washing, dispersion, wearing masks if necessary, staying home if any symptoms occur, and other measurements have become a habit of the educational institutions and have successfully implemented in the usual routine of schools. She adds that rapid testing will continue as it was in the spring. The testing frequency will depend on the situation of covid infections in the area. The state guarantees the tests for the schools. Some schools still have a relatively large supply of tests from the spring. However, additional test deliveries will occur as needed at the end of August.
The sickness benefit procedure that took effect last year will continue this year. It goes as follows - the first day of sickness will be without pay. The employer will cover the second day of illness until the fifth day. The national health fund will cover sick days from the sixth day.
In the spring of 2021, the state also distributed money to municipalities as an additional budget. The advice on use was primarily for ventilation systems in schools and nurseries. This year, extra funding was up for grabs for municipalities to make buildings, including educational institutes, energy efficient. The information on how many schools got new ventilation systems will follow in mid-November.