Schools reopen tomorrow (Monday) and students should follow all basic health guidelines, all the time to prevent Covid-19 and other respiratory diseases among schoolchildren, Prof. Pujitha Wickramasinghe said.
He told a press briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Friday that the country will become more active from tomorrow with the reopening of schools and not following health guidelines will lead to an increase in the spread of Covid-19 and other respiratory diseases. Therefore, it is essential to follow all basic health guidelines, all the time.
Prof. Wickramasinghe said that schoolchildren in primary grades can wear the face shield without a face mask if it is difficult for them to wear the face mask for hours. Parents of schoolchildren should vaccinate their children as soon as possible with the Covid-19 vaccine (Pfizer).
Schoolchildren under the age of 12 have no complications and show minimum symptoms when they get infected with Covid-19. Schoolchildren need to move with their friends, they need to spend less time with screens and be more active for a healthy childhood. Otherwise, they will suffer from obesity and Non Communicable Diseases. Nothing can be done for obesity when they grow old. The long term negative impact of Covid-19 will be in five years, he added.