Protocol for the Control of COVID-19 at Kingswood College
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Protocol for the Control of COVID-19
at Kingswood College
RESPONSIBILITY
Owner: Dr Colleen Vassiliou
Date implemented: 22 May 2020
REVIEW
Last Review date: 31 August 2020
This is not a static document. As levels and regulations change as informed by Government, the
NICD, DoE or ISASA, guidelines will be updated and amended.
These changes will be communicated as and when they are made.Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES 3
Basic Guidelines 3
Masks and Gloves 3
Washing Hands / Hand Sanitisers 4
Public And Shared Spaces 4
Disinfecting and Cleaning of Workspaces 4
Dining Hall 4
Meals and Social Time 4
Daily Temperature Monitoring 4
Boarders 4
Day Pupils 5
Staff 5
SHOWING SYMPTOMS 5
Screening And Testing 5
Further Screening 6
Quarantine/Isolation 6
Testing Positive 6
A Suspected Case of Covid-19 7
A PositiveTest for Covid-19 8
Criteria For Self-Isolation 8
Criteria For Hospitalisation 8
De-isolation Criteria 8
PROTOCOL FOR BOARDERS AT KINGSWOOD COLLEGE 9
Communication 9
Screening 9
Daily Screening 9
Sanitation Of Boarding Houses 10
Dining Hall 10
Sanitation Of Pupils And Pupil Responsibilities 10
Prep And Roll Calls 10
Common Spaces 11
Rooms 11
Transport 11
Page 2 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
INTRODUCTION
In compliance with national health and safety measures and the Department of Education’s guidelines
for schools on maintaining hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kingswood College must meet
the requirements regarding proper sanitation and the use and provision of personal protective
equipment, sanitisers, hand washing soap, cloth masks and thermometers.
In line with the guidelines, returning staff and pupils will be screened when the school
reopens. Temperature checks will be administered and pupils or staff members who present with
raised temperatures will be considered for isolation and testing. Some basic guiding principles are
highlighted below:
1. Hand washing is of utmost importance and pupils, teachers and staff must adhere to all
handwashing requirements. The sanitising of hands will occur for all individuals entering the
Kingswood property. This will be done concurrently with the temperature taking. Pupils and
teachers will also be expected to sanitise their hands on entering a classroom space.
2. Social distancing will be of utmost importance, where no more than two pupils may share a
desk, with no hugging or handshaking.
3. Under the guidelines, pupils, teachers and staff will be expected to wear masks at all times
unless in private rooms or offices.
4. Schools will be expected to sanitise classrooms prior to the start of each school day.
5. The movement of pupils between classes will also be limited.
Preventative measures
BASIC GUIDELINES
Hygiene and social distancing must be reinforced by: Management, Teachers, Housepersons,
Matrons and Student Assistants.
• Washing of hands with soap and water or sanitiser is essential, especially before and after
eating, after blowing one’s nose, coughing or sneezing, after a visit to the toilet and whenever
hands are dirty.
• Sharing of food, drinks, cups and utensils are prohibited.
Observe for psychological stress among pupils or staff, help to guide them and refer them to the
school counsellor. Pupils must be encouraged to express and communicate their feelings and
stigmatisation must be avoided.
Masks and Gloves:
• Masks must be worn by everyone on campus.
• Masks will be for sale at the school shop.
Page 3 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
• Masks have to be washed daily, so a minimum of 2 masks per person is advised.
• There is no need for gloves as ALL persons on the Kingswood campus are required to
regularly wash their hands and to use hand sanitisers.
Washing of Hands / Hand Sanitisers:
Hand sanitisers must be used by all when entering classrooms, the dining hall, the San and after
using ablutions. Please remember this does not replace the washing of hands.
All classrooms and strategic points will have hand sanitisers available for use. If the solution has run
out and needs to be replaced, this must immediately be reported to the San. Support staff will check
the sanitisers on a daily basis, all staff to assist in ensuring sanitisers are available and full.
PUBLIC AND SHARED SPACES
Disinfecting and cleaning of workspaces:
The sanitising of classrooms before the start of each school day is essential.
All members of staff and pupils must be encouraged and reminded to clean work surfaces before they
start the day or lesson. Everyone should have tissues and hand wipes on them, at all times, to ensure
this. This also includes telephones, computer keyboards etc.
Dining Hall:
Mealtimes will be adjusted so that social distancing can be maintained with mealtimes staggered to
ensure this.
Duty staff will manage sanitation and social distancing protocols and hand sanitisers will be available
on entry to the dining hall and put in place around the dining hall.
After all meals, the whole dining hall will be cleaned and surfaces sanitised. The dining hall will be
sanitised and managed by Capitol Catering who will be guided by their specific protocols.
Sport and Social Time
• Duty staff will manage social time and make sure social distancing is taking place at all times.
• Social time will be kept to a minimum.
• Sport and exercise will be guided by the Department of Sport, Art, Recreation and Culture
protocols in line with the current lockdown level.
Daily temperature monitoring
BOARDERS:
Temperatures of pupils will be taken in their houses before school, when going into lunch and in the
evening at approximately 19h00. All tested persons with temperatures above 37.3°C, will be asked to
report to the San for further investigation.
Page 4 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
See the boarding section (page 8) for more detail.
DAY PUPILS:
Each morning, day pupils will report to the following locations to have their temperatures taken before
going to class. Anyone presenting with temperature above 37.3°C will be sent home immediately.
• Pre-primary: Pre-primary main office
• Junior School: The main office
• Senior Day Girls: The San gate or Wesley House
• Senior Day Boys: The San gate or Their respective boarding houses
Parents of day pupils should contact their GP if they have any concerns for their child.
STAFF:
All staff are required to have their temperatures taken on arrival at Kingswood. Temperatures will be
taken at all entrances to campus for those arriving by vehicle, as well as at both Junior and Senior
School receptions.
Support staff temperatures will be also taken every morning on their entry onto campus, or at the
Kitchen office.
All members of staff who measure a temperature above 37.3°C will be put on the register and sent
home. Any staff member with signs and symptoms of being ill, will be sent home.
VISITORS:
All visitors to Kingswood will have their temperatures taken on arrival at Kingswood. Any person who
measures a temperature above 37.3°C, will not be allowed on campus.
Showing symptoms
SCREENING AND TESTING
After the doctor has seen suspected cases of COVID-19, he will fill out all the necessary forms and
the private laboratory (Ampath) will send staff to do the necessary nasal and throat swab as per NICD
guidelines.
Page 5 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
Further Screening:
• All pupils that have any symptoms (fever, cough and/or headache) must report to the San
where they will be screen further under the guidance of the school doctor. Should the need
arise, their parent or guardian will be notified.
• Staff will have to phone their GPs or the NICD toll-free phone, who will then guide them about
what to do.
• The San will have a COVID- 19 intake and assessment room separate from the remainder of
the San with its own entry/exit point.
• If there is a suspected case of COVID-19, the ‘Protocol for COVID-19 Illness’ protocol will
come into action.
QUARANTINE/ISOLATION:
Boarders showing signs of COVID-19 symptoms i.e. sore throat, cough and temperature will be seen
at the San and arrangements will be made to have swabs taken for confirmation testing.
In the meantime, they will be housed at Intermediate House until their test results are available.
parents/guardians will be notified. A nursing sister will be stationed to care and support them as they
await their results. Results should be back within 2 days if specimens are sent to the private laboratory
Ampath. Should the results be positive and they are mildly affected, local boarders will be sent home
for self-isolation for a minimum of 10 days.
All international boarders who are diagnosed as positive will be housed at Intermediate House. A
nursing sister will be there to care for them and support them. The NICD protocol will be followed
with utmost accountability.
Should they be in severe respiratory distress, the medical doctor will arrange for transfer to the
hospital in PE as per NICD guidelines. In the event of a pupil require transfer to the hospital in PE, a
nurse will accompany them. The NICD will be notified and support will be requested on a case by
case basis.
Testing positive
A SUSPECTED CASE OF COVID-19
After the school doctor has seen suspected cases of COVID-19, he will fill out all the necessary forms
and the private laboratory (Ampath) will send staff to do the necessary nasal and throat swab as per
NICD guidelines.
While this occurs, staff and day pupils will be asked to isolate at home, and boarders will be housed
at Intermediate House, until their test results are available. A nursing sister will be stationed to care
and support them as they await their results.
Page 6 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
Staff will have to phone their GPs or the NICD toll-free phone, who will then guide them about what
to do.
IN THE CASE OF TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
In the event of a positive test result, staff and day pupils to remain home in isolation and local boarders
will be sent home for self-isolation.
All international boarders who are diagnosed as positive will be housed at Intermediate House. A
nursing sister will be there to care for them and support them. The NICD protocol will be followed
with utmost accountability.
Isolation timeframe is determined by the following:
ASYMPTOMATIC …….. De-isolate 10 days after testing
MILD DISEASE……………… De-isolate 10 days after symptom onset
SEVERE DISEASE………….. De-isolate 10 days after clinical stability achieved.
Severe respiratory distress of any boarders
The medical doctor will arrange for transfer to the hospital in PE as per NICD guidelines. Should a
pupil require transfer to the hospital in PE, a nurse will accompany them. The NICD will be notified
and support will be requested on a case by case basis.
Ampath Lab guidelines for patients who test positive for COVID-19
Most people (80%) infected with SARS-COVID-I9 are well enough to be managed at home.
Patients with mild disease may self-isolate at home. The patient should have suitable facilities at the
home to enable self-isolation.
Clinical criteria for patients under 12 years of age (for patients over 12 years of age,
use age-appropriate normal values):
• SpO2 >95%
• Respiratory rateProtocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
• Have no severe comorbid pulmonary or cardiac disease.
• Should have no other comorbid conditions.
CRITERIA FOR SELF-ISOLATION
For a mild upper respiratory infection, self-isolate. For lower respiratory infections, as above and
observe. Self-isolation timeframe is determined by the following:
ASYMPTOMATIC …….. De-isolate 10 days after testing
MILD DISEASE……………… De-isolate 10 days after symptom onset
SEVERE DISEASE………….. De-isolate 10 days after clinical stability achieved.
CRITERIA FOR HOSPITALISATION
Respiratory distress (i.e. breathlessness and/or struggling to breathe) is the only indication for
hospitalisation and monitoring.
Severe Respiratory Distress
The medical doctor will arrange for transfer to the hospital in PE as per NICD guidelines. Should a
pupil require transfer to the hospital in PE, a Nurse will accompany them. The NICD will be notified
and support will be requested on a case by case basis.
De-isolation criteria
(whole section changed)
The recommended isolation period for patients with confirmed Covid-19 infection is reduced from 14
to 10 days. This recommendation is based on evidence that most patients with mild Covid-19 infection
continue to shed SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid from their upper airways for a median of approximately 7-
12 days. Furthermore, the presence of detectable virus nucleic acid by RTPCR does not necessarily
imply infectiousness. A better proxy for infectiousness is the ability to successfully culture the virus
from a sample. In mild cases, cultures are generally only positive for 8-9 days after symptom onset
The duration of infectiousness in patients with severe disease (i.e. requiring admission due to clinical
instability) is less well established. In general, patients with severe disease may continue to shed
virus at higher levels for longer periods than patients with mild disease. To provide a buffer, it is
recommended that such patients be de-isolated 10 days after clinical stability has been achieved (e.g.
after supplemental oxygen was discontinued), rather than 10 days after symptom onset.
The figure below therefore provides a summary of the revised recommendations:
Page 8 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
Asymptomatic patients represent a conceptual challenge, since it is not possible to estimate where in
the course of viral shedding they are at the time point at which they test positive. For simplicity, and
to err on the side of caution, it is recommended that asymptomatic patients be isolated for 10 days
following the date of their positive test.
Protocol for boarders and boarding houses at Kingswood
College
COMMUNICATION
• Communication will be sent out to parents notifying them of the return date to Boarding. A lead
time of no less than 7 days will be given per grade.
• Specific grades and dates will be included in the communication.
SCREENING
Before arrival back on campus:
• All pupils will complete a pre-screen questionnaire before their return to school
• All pupils will be temperature screened before entry onto campus
DAILY SCREENING
Pupils and staff will be screened daily by having their temperature reading taken by an electronic
thermometer. Screenings will take place:
• Upon leaving their House before breakfast in the morning
• In their boarding house during the evening prep session
Pupils with a temperature above 37.3°C will be referred to the San. Other symptoms that could result
in a referral to the San for further screening include the presence of a cough, headache and/or sore
throat.
Page 9 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
SANITATION OF BOARDING HOUSES
• The Boarding House will be sanitised by a professional company two days before the Boarding
Houses open and this will include dining room facilities.
• The sanitisation lasts up to one month and this will be done every thirty days.
• The bathrooms, bedrooms, passages and common rooms will be sanitised daily. The
bathrooms will be sanitised twice a day at 08:30 and 16h00 by our cleaning company.
• We encourage pupils to bring disinfectant to use at their own discretion in their working
spaces.
• Pupils’ bedding will be washed more frequently and this option will be made available to termly
boarders and enforced. Boarders who head home for a weekend are expected to take their
bedding home to be washed.
• Shower times will be done on a rotation and scheduled basis with no more than 4 people per
ablution at any one time
DINING HALL
Mealtimes will be adjusted so that social distancing can be maintained with mealtimes staggered to
ensure this.
Duty staff will manage sanitation and social distancing protocols and hand sanitisers will be available
on entry to the dining hall and put in place around the dining hall.
After all meals, the whole dining hall will be cleaned and surfaces sanitised. The dining hall will be
sanitised and managed by Capitol Catering who will be guided by their specific protocols.
SANITATION OF PUPILS AND PUPIL RESPONSIBILITIES
• There will be hand sanitisers available to pupils in the common rooms and the dining rooms
and at various access points around campus. We encourage pupils to use them often.
• We also encourage pupils to bring a pocked sized hand sanitiser with them and carry it with
them at all times.
• Face masks are compulsory and all pupils should have two masks at school with them and
the masks must be clearly marked. The Laundry will wash and disinfect them on a daily basis.
• Masks must be worn at all times except when pupils are in their own rooms.
PREP AND ROLL CALLS
• Roll call will be done in your own room or dorm, the duty staff member will attend to this. They
will be done before breakfast and during prep.
• Pupils will be isolated to their own room or dorm for prep and no walking around or group work
Page 10 of 11Protocol For The Control of COVID19
at Kingswood College
will be tolerated.
• Prep for Grade 8 boys will be supervised in their rooms and not in classrooms as previously
done.
• Junior boarding prep sessions will be staggered.
COMMON SPACES
• Pupils using any common spaces will be required to adhere to the social distancing protocols as
practiced in their classrooms
ROOMS
• Spacing will be maintained as best possible. Pupils will, where possible, be placed in their
own rooms. Masks will not need to be worn in rooms and pupils will only be permitted to enter
their own rooms.
TRANSPORT
Working with the Department of Transport, vehicles that transport pupils will undergo sanitisation
before the start of all trips. Everyone entering will also be expected to wear a mask and sanitise their
hands before entering the vehicle.
Distance between pupils in the buses has also been proposed as a measure.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a static document. As levels and regulations change as informed by
Government, the NICD, DoE or ISASA, guidelines will be updated and amended. These changes will
be communicated as and when they are made.
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