Dubai School Student Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Dubai Health Authority confirmed that she and her family are quarantined at a hospital and their condition is stable.

Posted on

5 March 2020

| Last updated on 5 March 2020

Dubai School Student Tests Positive for Coronavirus

The school will be disinfected to help prevent the virus' spread.

A 16-year old Indian school student in Dubai has tested positive for Covid-19, confirmed the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The patient contracted the virus from her parents who had recently traveled overseas and began to display Coronavirus symptoms five days after landing in Dubai.

The authority confirms that both the pupil and her family members are currently under hospital quarantine and are well on their way to recovering. School staff and students who have interacted with the girl are also undergoing tests and monitoring.

The unnamed CBSE school's premises and facilities will be sanitised to help avoid the spread of Coronavirus.

"DHA has adopted stringent pro-active precautionary measures to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all school pupils and their families. In coordination with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), we have issued instructions for classes in the school to be suspended," the Dubai Health Authority added.

On Wednesday, March 4 the UAE Ministry of Education has officially announced a four-week closure of all schools, universities, colleges, and nurseries across the country, from Sunday, March 8.

All schools & universities in the UAE will be closed for 4 weeks starting Sunday March 8. Facilities will be deep cleaned during this time. pic.twitter.com/Y6kkD74sZe

— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) March 3, 2020

The decision was made as a precautionary measure in a bid to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the country, as well as safeguard the health and safety of students and educational staff.

Students will have an additional two weeks to their spring break, which was initially scheduled to kick off from March 29.

The Ministry has launched a Distance Learning initiative, to be implemented by all public and private schools after the first two weeks. In the meantime, all educational facilities in the UAE will be deep-cleaned.

Schools have begun to prepare their distance-learning programmes, resources, and plans in order to avoid disrupting students' education. This may include e-learning tools and online platforms such as Google Classroom and One Note.

"Distance learning is considered a method of self-learning, which leads to strengthening the education system and ensuring its continuity," said the Ministry.

Parents are asked to provide a supportive learning environment for their children during the four-week holiday, providing internet access and electronic devices to assist in their online studies.

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