This information comes from an update to schools from the Ministries of Health and Education today.

All schools and early learning services are still in the Keep it Out phase of a pandemic plan. The preventative measures Health is encouraging schools and early learning services to practice are those of good hygiene, which include:

• Washing hands with soap and water before and after eating as well as after attending the toilet
• Covering coughs and sneezes with clean tissues or with an elbow
• Putting used tissues in the bin
• Encouraging staff and students to stay home if they are unwell

You will be aware that advice from Health asks everyone to wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, making sure you dry them thoroughly. Singing Happy Birthday twice, slowly should take about 20 seconds. To assist with this messaging, there are a couple of useful videos from the National Health Service (UK) that might help teach good hand washing techniques:

• Teaches hand washing technique (UK NHS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg
• Hand washing happy birthday (UK NHS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGJNspLRdrc