Considerations for school-related public health measures in the context of COVID-19

Countries around the world are taking broad public health and social measures (PHSM), including closure of schools, to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. 1 This Annex examines considerations for school operations, including openings, closures and re-openings and the measures needed to minimize the risk to students and staff of COVID-19. This Annex applies to educational settings for children under the age of 18 years and outlines general principles and key recommendations that can be tailored not only to schools but to specific school-related contexts, such as extracurricular activities.