The Initiative Group of the Public Union of Azerbaijani Doctors has issued a statement.
The statement covers the decisions made at the last briefing held by the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Qadin.Net reports quoting publika.az.
It was noted that the removal of a number of cities and regions from the strict quarantine zone from August 31 should be considered expedient. At the same time, strict control over quarantine behavior in those regions must be ensured. While the caution shown in the mitigation process of the strict quarantine regime is understandable, a number of issues need to be clarified:
1. We do not consider it expedient to close the roads to the regions. As an additional argument, it should be noted that the number of those who go to the regions legally (business trip, registered in the region, with a country permit, etc.) is sufficient. There are many people who go in different, illegal ways. In this case, it is necessary to ensure access to the regions within the quarantine conditions.
2. We consider the following to be acceptable in relation to education:
a) The education of first graders should traditionally be uninterrupted. Because the daily regime will have a negative impact on their adaptation to school.
b) The education and rehabilitation of children with special needs should continue in the traditional way. In fact, it is not right to give them a break. Because it is equivalent to the loss of acquired skills.
c) If children's weekly shifts are aimed at preventing congestion on the streets, and if we take into account that this congestion will be dangerous at the expense of parents, then we suggest that children be transported to urban schools by special buses. If subways are opened, "m-buses" can be assigned for this purpose.
d) We propose to take into account the very low quality of distance education and TV lessons in our country and to restore traditional education up to 12 years. Given that the number of families with one child in school is very small, parents will be forced to take their children to school both today and tomorrow, then the result will not change. In other words, it is unlikely that two or all three children in a family will be in the queue for education on the same day.
e) Provide free vaccinations against influenza and pneumonia to middle-aged teachers and staff in schools and kindergartens.
f) Admission of fifth- and upper-grade students to group meetings in October-November can lead to the rapid spread of acute respiratory viral infections. It is more expedient to release them gradually from the beginning of September. The transition to online schooling from November (unless children are transported by bus) should be decided not by the increase in the number of infections, but by the frequency of deaths and complications.
g) Children should not be admitted to the group without vaccinations against measles, mumps, mumps and whooping cough. Given that there is no strict control over vaccination in our country, and there were significant deficiencies in immunization during the quarantine period, all this increases the risk of an epidemic of dangerous infectious diseases in schools and kindergartens in the autumn.
h) It is not right to strictly control children's distance behavior during lessons and breaks and ask them to wear masks. In our country, as well as in the world experience, it has been confirmed that COVID-19 infection is not dangerous for children and is not a source of infection for people under 18 years of age. Just as it is not mandatory until the age of 12, it is not necessary to use a mask in tutoring classes after the age of 12. Hypoxic conditions significantly reduce the usefulness of mental activity.
i) Reducing the number of physical education classes in schools due to the unsuitability of changing rooms is not an appropriate decision for children separated from the hypodynamic environment. On the contrary, it is important to provide physical education classes in all conditions.
j) Rehabilitation of special educational centers for children (painting, dancing, sports, swimming, chess, gymnastics) with a minimum of two days a week is necessary in order to fully support their health.
3. The ban on public transport on weekends also does not seem logical. Overcrowding in buses and severe violations of quarantine rules are expected. It makes no sense to ban the weekend of public transport, which operates in these conditions five days a week.
4. Work should be intensified to bring, check and rehabilitate our compatriots on the Russian-Azerbaijani border under quarantine conditions.