Primary school pupils can do COVID-19 self-tests at home - Radzi Jidin

KUALA LUMPUR: Primary school pupils will be allowed to conduct COVID-19 self-tests at home beginning this week, said Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin.

He said students selected to undergo the screening tests would then have to submit the results to the school authorities.

"Test kits will be provided by schools. This new approach will be implemented beginning this week and the Education Ministry (MOE) will issue a media statement to explain this matter," he said in a video posted on his Facebook account today.

He said based on the National COVID-19 Testing Strategy issued by the Health Ministry, 10 per cent of primary school pupils will be randomly picked each week to undergo the self-tests launched at schools on Dec 1 last year.

The self-tests involving the use of saliva test kits supplied by MOE are conducted under the supervision of teachers.

Radzi said under this new testing approach, parents had to ensure that the self-tests were conducted properly and in accordance with the standard operating procedure set by the Ministry of Health, so that the school session could proceed safely.

"If it is not implemented according to the set procedure, those affected are not only your children but also their friends and teachers at school," he said in the video of about two minutes.

-- BERNAMA