Beginning this week, the Health Ministry will allow primary school students to be tested for COVID-19 at home using swab kit tests rather than carrying out at their individual schools.
Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin, the Minister of Education, said that 10% of students would be randomly picked weekly to carry out the swab test at home.
The Ministry of Health has given consent to allow these tests to be performed at home, and schools have been notified of this decision.
Schools are willing to offer self-test kits, and the procedure will begin this week as mentioned by the Ministry of Health.
The Education Ministry stated in a statement later Tuesday that if the test was negative, the student is allowed to attend the school, but if it is positive, they are required to quarantine themselves at home.
If their condition worsen, they are requested to seek medical assistant.
If the result is “invalid,” parents or guardians must notify the school in any case, and the student will be given another exam when they arrive at school, according to the ministry.
This is to ensure and curb the spread of the virus among students and school staff.
This will not only impact the students but their classmates and teachers too if the test is not administered correctly according to the stated procedures.
It is critical that parents “play a key part” in ensuring that guidelines and standard operating procedures established are followed, the Ministry of Health added.