AISL School Year 2021-2022The 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:
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. |
Summary Points from Current AISL Health Guidelines * Confirmed COVID-19 case
The day you arrive in Zambia is considered Day 1: * International travel by someone in household where not all members are vaccinated:
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Covid-19 PCR & Rapid Antigen Testing Facilities
prices and availability of test may change, please call the provider. Prices checked as of 2nd June
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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 |
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Victoria hospital
Phone: 0211-290985 PCR test – k1,600 PCR test with MOH travel certificate – k2,500 |
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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:
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?
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.
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Latest figures and Data from ZambiaGraphs 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.
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Review of week 31, 2021: August 2nd - 8th 2021
Summary: Reductions continue across the board this week, including in test positivity, hospitalisations, deaths taking place in facilities, new cases and active cases. At a national level we remain on a downward trend, though there appears to be some "leveling off" taking place; the week to week decline in positivity and new cases is becoming less steep. While we are pleased to see that some provinces, like Lusaka, are now below 5% positivity, there are some provinces that actually increased their positivity this week, and are closer to 15%. We continue to caution that: 1.) stats at a national level disproportionately reflect the situation in urban centres (especially Lusaka) given that the urban centres are where most testing takes place, most hospitals are located and most deaths are registered. 2.) community deaths remain largely unknown due to limited surveillance. We remain of the view that the true scale of Covid's impact in Zambia is higher than official stats capture. • Test positivity weekly average ⬇️ DECREASED from 9.7% in week 30 to 8% in week 31. We observe that it is a significantly smaller reduction than we've been seeing in previous weeks. Note that this positivity is an average for all of Zambia. Positivity in Luapula and Northwestern for example actually increased in week 31 and remains closer to 15%. By contrast, it has been 3% or below every day this week for Lusaka. • The number of hospitalised persons has ⬇️DECREASED again, from a daily average of 484 in week 30 to 361 in week 31. • The number of hospitalised persons in critical care has decreased from a daily average of 124 in week 30 to a daily average of 81 in week 31. • Deaths taking place in facilities have ⬇️DECREASED from a total of 134 in week 30 to 78 in week 31. • Reported new cases ⬇️DECREASED by 11%, from 4,222 in week 30 to 3,756 in week 31. As can be seen in the graphs below the percentage decrease week to week is becoming less steep week to week. |
Campus Reopening PlanThis 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.
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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.
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
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15th January 2021: Ministry of Education Postponement
Friday 11th September 2020: Speech for the official opening of the fifth session of the National Assembly.
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Saturday 12th September 2020: Media statement from the Ministry of General Education
Tuesday 17th March: Press briefing on Covid-19, preventive and control measures
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Tuesday 17th March: Ministry of General Education: Notice of closure
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Tuesday 14th March: Government press statement
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Brochure: What you need to know
Health alert for travellers
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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.
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 sessionsThese 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.
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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!
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!
Key websites
Find out more about SES COVID-19 testing and treatment protocols in Zambia, Questions and answers for our Zambian members.
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