Prague universities to quarantine students, teachers coming from China

Prague, Feb 10 (CTK) – Prague sanitary officers ordered 31 Prague higher education schools to isolate students and teachers who may come from China for 14 days as a measure against the coronavirus outbreak, the Prague Sanitary Office (HSHMP) confirmed to CTK today.

The students and teachers must be reported to the HSHMP and they cannot take part in the instruction process or go to libraries.

So far, over 60 people have tested for coronavirus in the Czech Republic, but the results have always been negative.

Globally, over 40,000 people have been infected with the virus and 900 of them have died.

“The issuance of the order was preceded by the talks of the HSHMP with representatives of Prague higher education schools on February 3,” HSHMP director Zdenka Jagrova said.

“The HSHMP asked the schools to map the situation by February 5 and disclose the number of students from China who have returned from the country after January 15, 2020 or will soon do so,” Jagrova said.

“It has turned out that the schools do not have the latest overview of the stay of the students between the semesters. This is why the HSHMP issued an across-the-board order to 31 Prague higher education schools,” Jagrova said.

HSHMP spokesman Zbynek Boublik said so far ten such students had been isolated in this way.

“All of them were examined before leaving China and monitored during the flight. None of them comes from the region that was the epicentre of the infection,” he added.

The office has ordered the school to keep informing it on the arrival of students or teachers from China. It has also banned their participation in the courses and entry to libraries for two weeks.

Charles University has called on its deans to give days off for studies to such students and to enable the teachers to work from home.

Health Minister Adam Vojtech (for ANO) said sanitary officers were dealing with similar measures also at the Technical University in Ostrava, north Moravia, which has some Chinese students.