Sharjah private school pupils under 12 will not need regular Covid-19 tests

Emirate's school testing and vaccine rules unchanged

A pupil at a Sharjah school walks into a disinfection tunnel as educational establishments take precautions against Covid-19. All pictures Pawan Singh / The National

A pupil is tested for Covid-19.

Pupils wait for their turn for Covid-19 tests at the Victoria English School in Sharjah.

Distanced tables in the classrooms.

Toys are stored in boxes.

A sign reminding people to use masks.

A hand sanitiser outside the classrooms.

Medical staff prepare to give pupils their Covid test.

The water dispenser is shut down because of Covid-19 safety measures.

Social distancing stickers are placed on the floor.

Sharjah's private schools will not be affected by the UAE's latest federal announcement on testing unvaccinated pupils for Covid-19.

“We will continue to work according to the guidelines we have announced,” said Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, chairman of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA).

“If any update should happen, we will announce it.”

According to its previously announced rules, pupils aged 12 years and over must have a Covid-19 test before returning for the start of the school term. After that, no other tests are mandated.

School employees must be fully vaccinated and will also be required to present a negative PCR test result before their first day back at work.

Some staff are exempt from the vaccination rule, such as pregnant women and those who might have an adverse reaction to the vaccine. Those people are required to take weekly PCR tests throughout the school year, as are any staff who have chosen not to be inoculated against Covid-19.

Newly-hired school employees who are not yet vaccinated will be given two months to have both vaccine shots. During that grace period they will have to undergo weekly testing

On Sunday, Dr Farida Al Hosani, the federal government's health spokeswoman, said pupils aged 12 and over need to be fully vaccinated within 30 days of schools reopening.

Following that grace period, weekly PCR tests will become mandatory for unvaccinated children aged over 12.

Vaccinated schoolchildren, and those aged between 3 and 12 who have not been inoculated, will need to be tested monthly.

Parents are required to download the Al Hosn app and add their children, and also to provide schools with printed copies of pupils' PCR and vaccination certificates.

The decision appears to largely cover government-run schools, with private schools in Dubai and Sharjah setting out their own protocols this week.