Education employees across Myanmar told to work on rotating basis as Covid control measure

By DMG 13 Jul 2021

DMG Newsroom
13 July 2021, Sittwe

All Ministry of Education employees have been instructed to work on a two-week-on, two-week-off rotational basis, with in-person staff levels reduced to 50% to prevent the spread of Covid-19, according to a July 12 directive from the Arakan State education office.

Education employees have been instructed to take special care to prevent the spread of the virus within their families and not to accept visitors to their homes from July 14, said U Aye Than, Sittwe Township education officer.

“Since the order was issued today, the employees will have to go to the office [half-time] starting tomorrow. According to the directive, only office staff members are to go to work. Due to the current spread of the virus, the number of employees has been reduced by 50%. Employees are instructed to work on a two-week break system,” he told DMG.

The directive said the Ministry of Health and Sports has instructed government departments to strictly follow guidelines for the prevention of Covid-19, and to establish Covid-19 prevention and control bodies within departments.

In addition, in order to prevent the spread of the virus in departmental offices, other staff members have been instructed to work from home and/or to work in shifts, depending on the needs of their departments.

Myanmar’s military regime has ordered all primary schools closed, including monastic education schools, from July 9-23 due to the growing number of coronavirus cases, including the highly contagious Delta variant.

As of July 6, a total of 21 teachers and 13 students had been infected with Covid-19 in Arakan State, according to the state education office.