COVID-19 Information

Looking Ahead to the First Day of School in August!

The first day of school for the 2021-22 School Year will be Monday, 9 August. It is also a busy week for Zambia with national elections scheduled for Thursday, 12 August. While vaccinations have begun in Zambia, COVID-19 remains an unpredictable variable that can still affect campus operations in August.

Update July 2021:

School will begin virtually on August 9 (Learnin Path 2 and 3) and continue for the week.
On-campus learning (Path 1) will start on August 16 - Dependent on the COVID-19 situation.
Whole School Assembly Webinar on Monday 9 August at 8.00 am open to all learners and their parents. The link will be sent nearer the time.

AISL’s current plans assume no campus closure due to the election (except 12 August, which is a public holiday). On August 16, we plan to open using Learning Path 1 (on-campus learning). Learning Path 3 (asynchronous distance learning) will be available for a limited time for families who need it. Please communicate directly with the principals to discuss Learning Path 3.

If either the COVID-19 or election situation requires that we close our campus, we will pivot to Learning Path 2 (synchronous distance learning) for as short a time as possible. We will remain in close contact with health and security experts across the school holiday to monitor both the COVID-19 and election situations and will notify you of any changes to these plans.

Since we cannot predict the COVID-19 situation in August, we plan to start the school year with the same health and safety protocols in place. Masking, distancing and post-travel quarantines will remain in effect. Therefore, if you will be traveling internationally during the school break and wish to have your child begin the school year on campus, please remember to allow time to follow our quarantine requirements.

For families with any unvaccinated members:

Quarantine for ten days and come to campus on Day 11 without the need for testing. This would require arriving on 30 July or earlier in order for your child to come on campus on 9 August without testing.

Quarantine for seven days and get a PCR or rapid test on Days 3-5. If that result is negative, then share the result with Nurse Jennifer and return to campus on Day 8. This would require arriving in Zambia on 2 August or earlier in order for your child to come on campus on 9 August.

For families where all members are fully vaccinated (two weeks after the final dose):

Get a PCR or rapid test on Days 3-5 and return once negative result has been shared with Nurse Jennifer.

Summary Points from Current AISL Health Guidelines

* Confirmed COVID-19 case

- Return to campus after 14 days and a doctor’s note

* Close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case:

- Return to campus after 10 days from initial contact or 7 days with testing done on Days 3-5

* Symptomatic/suspected case of COVID-19

Return to campus 48 hours after the end of symptoms with a negative test result and a doctor’s note

* Close contact with a suspected case of COVID-19

- Quarantine required only if symptoms develop

The day you arrive in Zambia is considered Day 1:

* International travel by someone in household where not all members are vaccinated:

- Quarantine for 7 days with a negative result from a test taken on Day 3-5
- Quarantine for 10 days with no testing

* International travel by someone in a household where ALL members of the household are fully vaccinated (two weeks after the final dose):

- Return to campus after a negative test result from test taken on Days 3-5

Covid-19 PCR & Rapid Antigen Testing Facilities

prices and availability of test may change, please call the provider. Prices checked as of 2nd June

CFB medical centre
Phone: 0979700100/0971252488/0211-254398
Rapid antigen test – k600
PCR test only – k1,100
PCR test with MOH travel certificate – k1,600

CIDRZ central laboratory
Phone: 0975138102 Book online
Antibody test – k550
Rapid antigen – not available
PCR test only – k1,650
PCR test with MOH travel certificate – k2,150

Medland hospital
Phone: 3111 or 0761101600
Rapid antigen test – k600
PCR test – k1,000
PCR test with MOH travel certificate – k1,500

Victoria hospital
Phone: 0211-290985
PCR test – k1,600
PCR test with MOH travel certificate – k2,500

Forest park hospital
Phone: 0965273649
Rapid antigen test – k550
PCR test – k1,890
PCR test with MOH travel certificate – k2,490

University teaching hospital
No accessible contact number. Visit the facility directly for more information.

Health Protocol for ALL Families
While the school’s health and safety protocols stress masking, hygiene, and distancing while on campus, health and safety for our community begins at home. Each morning, students, staff members, and their families must screen themselves to determine if they should come to campus. The following screening questions can assist with this step. Families should come to school only if each member of the family can answer NO to each of the following questions:

* Do you feel unwell or have you had symptoms such as a fever, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, or a reduced sense of taste or smell within the last 48 hours?
* Have you had a positive COVID-19 test result within the last 14 days?
* Have you had close contact with someone who has had a positive COVID-19 test result within the last 14 days?
* Have you attended any large gatherings of people (for example a funeral, church service, party, etc.) within the last 14 days?
* Have you or someone in your household traveled internationally within the last 14 days?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES, please call Nurse Jennifer Anunsacion at +260 966 822 285. She will advise you when you will be eligible to return to campus. Please note that it is absolutely essential that all families follow these rules. We all share a collective responsibility to keep each other safe. If you are in any doubt, please call Nurse Jennifer for guidance.

Health and Safety at AISL

Since we reopened to Grades 7, 9, and 12 on 20 August, we have been tracking important health and safety data on a weekly basis. We have used this data to create a visual dashboard that will help to provide an overview of health and safety on campus and to monitor our fidelity to our protocols. The dashboard is updated every Friday.

Face masks

Please note that upon a review of the research about the efficacy of face masks, we have prohibited the use of vented face masks on campus. Please ensure that your child wears either a surgical mask or one made of at least two layers of breathable fabric. Masks should be close-fitting, able to easily and consistently cover the mouth and nose, and must not have a vent. The CDC has released helpful guidance on how to maximize the effectiveness of your face masks. There is also new data that show that double masking (wearing a fitted cloth mask over a surgical-style mask) can be particularly effective. Please remember that students must also bring a spare mask or masks as a backup.

Latest figures and Data from Zambia

Graphs courtesy of Anne Jennings from InHouse Design Studio as part of the "Lusaka Helps" project. Every week "Lusaka Helps" takes a look at the official numbers of cases, deaths, tests and recoveries released by the Zambian Ministry of Health. Volunteers collect publicly available information, look at trends in the progression of the pandemic, and work to help the public make informed decisions about risk mitigation. "Lusaka Helps " is a grassroots movement calling for information and action in the time of Covid-19.

* Click on the graphs to enlarge

Campus Reopening Plan

This document describes the health and safety measures that we will use when the students return to our campus. Many thanks to the Campus Reopening Task Force, the CDC, and the school’s leadership team and faculty for their contributions to this important document.

As we navigate this new digitally-driven world, we are all constantly looking for online experiences that are as unique as they are engaging, as informative as they are fun. Well look no further, AISL has created an exclusive AISL online environment where thoughts, opinions, news and advice come together for a jam session like none other!

We invite all AISL students, parents and staff to take part in an ongoing online conversation focused on sharing, motivating and of course, educating! On our Verbal Jam website, you will find some great features, such as our Verbal Jam Webinars and Thrive Message Board to keep us connected no matter where we are in the world!

In Focus...

Talking with Children about COVID-19

AISL Infectious Disease Protocols

Zambian Government Documents

What to do if you show symptoms?

Talking with Children about COVID-19

NASP Talking to Children About COVID-19
CDC: Talking with children about Coronavirus
Harvard Medical: How to talk to teens about the new coronavirus
CDC: Stigma Related to COVID-19
Reassuring Conversations with Children
Talking to Teens and Tweens About Coronavirus
The WHO has posted a helpful animated video about the Novel Coronavirus to use with older children.
‘Students Are Lonely:’ What Happens When Coronavirus Forces Schools Online
Brain Pop 4 min video
Four things you can do to support your teen’s mental health - from UNICEF
- And a related quiz: Fact or fiction: How much do you know about COVID-19?

AISL Infectious Disease Protocols

It has become increasingly apparent that schools must be prepared to deal with the threat of disease epidemics/pandemics. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes the importance of developing screening processes and providing public health education; cutting down access to students, staff and teachers possibly infected with the virus; and developing policies and procedures for closing down schools and creating a virtual school in the case of a pandemic, especially before vaccines are available or when they are in short supply.

A rubric outlining AISL’s various levels of responses to a pandemic (Ebola, Avian Flu, etc.) is outlined on the following below.
NB: Depending on risk level and nature of the disease, canteen services may be suspended after close consultation with the CRMT in risk levels 3-5.

Zambian Government Documents

21st May 2021: Points of entry guidelines

15th January 2021: President's Announcement

15th January 2021: Ministry of Education Postponement

Friday 11th September 2020: Speech for the official opening of the fifth session of the National Assembly.

Saturday 12th September 2020: Media statement from the Ministry of General Education

Tuesday 17th March: Press briefing on Covid-19, preventive and control measures

Tuesday 17th March: Ministry of General Education: Notice of closure

Tuesday 14th March: Government press statement

Brochure: What you need to know

Health alert for travellers

What to do if you show symptoms?

Here are some hospital procedures for handling suspected COVID-19 cases:

Government Assigned Phone Lines For Covid-19 (+260-974493553, +260-964638726, +260-953898941)
1. If You Call The Numbers – Phone Assessment Takes Place
2. If It Is A Suspected Case, Health Team Will Be Dispatch To Your Home
3. Health Team Will Do Assessment, Collect Swab Sample & Make Decisions
4. Test Result Takes 2 – 5 Days
5. If Negative – Will Still Enforce 14 Days Home Quarantine
6. If Positive – Will Tranfer Patient To Isolation Facility To Reduce Spread Of Disease

Medland Hospital
1. Health Screening Before Entry (By The Gate)
2. Suspected Covid-19 Case Will Be Taken
To The Red Zone (Screening Room)
3. Gp Will Attend To The Patient Who Will Make Decisions Based On The Outcome
4. Medland Hospital Will Admit The
Patients (Serious Cases Only) In Their 2 Isolation Rooms

Cfb Hospital
1. Temperature Scan & Detailed History Will Be Taken On Arrival.
2. You Will Be Asked To Fill In A Form.
3. If Your Symptoms Are Strongly In Favor Of A Covid-19 Infection, Then The National Team Will Be Notified & The Samples Will Be Sent For Testing At The Virology Lab At Uth Or Unza.
4. If Your Illness Does Not Warrant Admission, Then You Will Be Treated Symptomatically As Per Guidelines And Advised Self-isolation At Home.
5. There Is A Temporary Isolation Facility At Cfb.

Information sessions

These sessions, linked below, provide detailed, step-by-step descriptions of what your child's day will look like from a health and safety perspective. Our latest information session on the 11 February included the latest changes. You are also always welcome to email the principals directly for clarification on any points.

Community Meetings Recordings

Watch the recording