The "Corona quarantine" topic not only dominated the adult news earlier this week.
The ZDF children's news program “Logo” also switched to the living room of ten-year-old Marie, who has had to study at the living room table for almost two weeks after a positive Corona case occurred in her class.
Marie said how difficult it was not to see friends for two weeks, not even to enter the new class after moving to secondary school.
She did several corona tests, all of which were negative.
So far, this has hardly played a role, Marie is only allowed to go back to the classroom after 14 days.
Nadine Bad
Editor in business, responsible for “Job and Opportunity”.
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Because the "freest possible" for school and daycare children - at least not allowed by the responsible health department at Marie's place of residence. That should now change, as the health ministers of the federal states laid down as a new guideline on Monday. Since their meeting, it has been clear that only those children who are next to an infected child should be quarantined in schools, not entire classes. At least if the hygiene rules were followed. Symptom-free children who are in quarantine as close contacts should be able to end this with a negative test at the earliest after five days. Even in daycare centers, more judgment should be exercised and freestyle testing should be possible after five days.
The decision is intended to serve as an orientation for the health authorities, but the final decision-making authority on who has to be in quarantine and for how long continues to be made by the on-site clerks.
There are already voices who doubt whether the new rules will make a big difference and who fear that the current patchwork of rules could be retained.
The state chairman of the Association for Education and Upbringing NRW, Stefan Behlau, told the WDR that it still remains to be seen whether the guard rails of the health ministers can also be implemented for schools.
In his federal state, the rules should have been simpler so far, but that did not work in the implementation.
Challenging for companies and employees
Frequent quarantines not only affect the children themselves, but also working parents who have to take on homeschooling and care. The HR departments have noticed that too. "Taking care of children during the pandemic is a major challenge for both companies and employees with children of school age or younger," says Ralf Steuer, Managing Director of the German Association for Personnel Management. Although the care of their children is in principle the sole responsibility of the employees, companies have shown "the greatest possible flexibility" in the last 18 months. Together with the employees concerned, individual solutions would be found to relieve parents and, at the same time, ensure work performance.Politicians have also initiated special legal regulations during the corona pandemic.
"In principle, parents do not have to continue working if their child is in quarantine up to the age of twelve," says Saskia Steffen, specialist lawyer for labor law in Frankfurt am Main. “For those with statutory health insurance there is the possibility of receiving child sickness benefit.” This is currently available per year, child and parent for a maximum of 30 days, 60 days for single parents. Parents generally receive 90 percent of the lost net income, but the entitlement is limited to 70 percent of the contribution assessment ceiling of currently 112.88 euros per day. Privately insured persons can claim compensation for childcare for children up to twelve years according to the Infection Protection Act, explains Steffen. With this, employees would get 67 percent of the loss of earnings reimbursed for up to six weeks,but no more than 2016 euros. From the seventh week onwards, employees must submit their claims to the competent authority themselves. In total, there is compensation for childcare according to the Infection Protection Act for a maximum of 10 weeks per parent. "Before receiving the compensation, however, employers can demand that their employees use up time credits and vacation from the previous year."