11 antigenic tests for diagnosing COVID-19, available on the market in Bulgaria, can be applied in school by the children themselves or by the medical specialists there. They are included in a list provided to the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) by the Executive Agency for Medicines (BDA).
It lists six tests for self-testing of nasopharyngeal (nasal) or oropharyngeal (throat) secretions, offered in our country by seven companies, as well as five tests of saliva for professional use (by a medical specialist) and for self-testing.
Each of the tests has a leaflet for use, translated into Bulgarian, the Ministry of Education and Science announced.
The Ministry of Education and Science requested this information from the BDA in order to facilitate, on the one hand, the educational institutions in organizing the testing of students and, on the other hand, the parents in deciding on testing their children and choosing a specific type of test.
In a letter to the Regional Departments of Education, which will be sent today, the MES will provide all available data to school principals.
As stated in the Guidelines for Training and Action in Emergency Situations in Schools in the 2021-2022 school year, testing of students may be organized in schools if it covers at least 90% of them and their parents agree.
Directors may request the selected type of tests from the Regional Health Inspectorates (RHIs). If the RHI does not have them, if the funds are available, the schools can buy them themselves.
All state and municipal educational institutions will receive additional funds to their budgets for this year to cover the increased costs of compliance with anti-epidemic measures and due to higher prices of electricity, heating, water and more. In the update of the state budget for 2021, BGN 8 million are provided for this purpose.
/BNT