INTERIM TEMPERATURE REGIME FOR PUPILS 12 YEARS OLD AND BELOW

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1. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has, in consultation with the Ministry of Health (MOH), decided to raise the cut-off oral temperature for screening at schools to 37.8 degrees Celsius for pupils of ages 12 years and below. Pupils in this age range who register an oral temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius and above would be asked to see a doctor. Their parents will be contacted to fetch them to the doctor.

2. This interim temperature regime is adopted after the MOH has reviewed preliminary temperature data of our primary school pupils. Over the period 5 to 9 May 2003, about 450 Primary 1 to Primary 4 pupils (0.23%) have persistently registered a temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius, even though they appear to be well. It is also well established that young children have a slightly higher temperature than adults. In addition, the body temperature may vary during the course of the day.

3. Schools have implemented the new temperature regime for pupils who are 12 years old and below from today.

4. For pupils above 12 years old, there is no change to the cut-off temperature. Pupils registering oral temperatures of 37.6 degrees Celsius and above will not be allowed to remain in school, and will be asked to seek medical attention.

5. With this new temperature regime, there may still be a very small group of pupils who register temperatures above the age-appropriate cut-off temperature but appear well. MOE and MOH will be discussing the protocols to manage such pupils.

6. MOE is working with MOH to carry out further analyses of the temperature data of pupils. The temperature measurement regime employed by schools will be further fine tuned if the results of these studies show it necessary to do so.

7. MOE urges parents to be mindful of their children's well-being and not to send their children to school if they are unwell. They should send them to a doctor instead. They should return to school only when they are well. MOE also seeks the co-operation of parents whose children are sent home for registering temperatures above the age-appropriate cut-off. Temperature-taking remains an important part of our defence against SARS. MOE is committed to have a tight ring-fence around our schools. This will give assurance to all parents that their children are in a healthy and SARS-free environment while in school.