“At the moment, the situation permits us to say that children and young people should return to schools. I have high hopes, given also the vaccination system and the availability of vaccines, that this return will last throughout the entire school year,” said Prime Minister Morawiecki during the meeting of the Cabinet Council convened by President Andrzej Duda. The Cabinet Council is convened in matters of particular importance. It comprises members of the Council of Ministers, who meet under the leadership of the President. The decision to convene the Cabinet Council can be made solely by the President should he deem that a certain matter is of sufficient importance; in this case, the main topic was the preparation of schools for the return of students to classroom learning.

The upcoming autumn and the COVID-19 pandemic

“Through its unpredictability, the pandemic has taught us that we can never be absolutely certain of anything. We have to build various scenarios and safeguards,” stressed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. With the end of summer approaching, we are seeing an increase in the number of infections throughout the world. “We are approaching this situation with humility. We realise that the number of cases can reach thousands,” he added.

We all need to be prepared for the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As pointed out by the Head of the Government, it will be different from the previous ones. Poland now has full access to vaccinations and possesses adequate stocks of vaccines. Our vaccination points are at full readiness. The number of people who received a vaccine is constantly increasing. At this moment, over 36 million vaccine doses have been given, and over 18.7 million people are fully vaccinated. The fight for herd immunity is still ongoing! Get vaccinated and protect yourself and others.

More information about vaccinations can be found at www.gov.pl/szczepimysie

Safety first – thermometers, masks and gloves for schools

We know that distance learning has a negative impact on the psychological and physical condition of students. For this reason, schools are preparing to begin the school year despite the ongoing pandemic. The Ministry of Education and Science, together with the Ministry of Health, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves, is undertaking a number of actions which will significantly contribute to COVID-19 prevention and enable safe learning in schools and institutions during the pandemic.

Schools and kindergartens will receive preventive equipment. This includes disinfection stations with temperature measurement function to be placed in front of building entrances. The Government Agency for Strategic Reserves will be responsible for purchasing and distributing the equipment. All schools and kindergartens will receive personal protective equipment – gloves, masks, disinfectants and thermometers.

Polish, maths and COVID-19 vaccination – get vaccinated together with your child at school!

To simplify access to vaccinations even further, at the beginning of the new school year, pharmacies, shopping centres and mass events will be joined by schools throughout the country. Keep in mind that even the best preventive equipment at schools and adherence to all established rules may not be enough to protect your child from infection. For this reason, head teachers will be organising vaccinations at their schools.

The Ministry of Education and Science has prepared an informational package concerning organisation of the vaccination process. It specifies the duties and responsibilities of head teachers. These include:

• organisation of lessons for students to be held by the class teacher,
• organisation of informational and educational meetings with parents,
• collection of declarations of child participation in the vaccination process from parents,
• cooperation with the vaccination point,
• organisation of space for vaccinations.

Learn more at the website of the Ministry of Education and Science.