Introduction

Colegio Bolivar’s Biosafety Plan was developed using the current regulations issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and the local government. In addition, information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), biosafety plans from various schools of our organisations (AASSA, ASOBILCA, Tri-Association), and a committee composed of Colegio Bolivar’s health, security, transportation, human resources, maintenance and communications teams were taken into account. This plan has also been reviewed by the Board of Directors. We hereby share an abridged version of the plan for Colegio Bolivar parents; the original is an internal document for employees and administrative staff. This protocol will be updated as the situation in Cali and Colombia changes and the Colombian government issues new procedures or protocols to provide a biosafe learning environment for all members of the community.

Privacy

At all times and under all circumstances, names or other information regarding possible infections in the Community will be respected and kept private. It is essential that any case, suspected or confirmed, be considered confidential information available only to the family, school administrators, the medical team, and the corresponding authorities.

Objective

Adopt, adapt and implement the necessary biosafety measures to prevent the contagion and spread of the COVID-19 virus in the school’s community; additionally, manage the necessary controls for entering the Colegio Bolivar facilities, guaranteeing the biosafety standards recommended by the national government, the ARL (local Labor Risk Management) entity and the Mayor’s Office of Santiago de Cali, in order to control the risks that endanger the health of the Community.

Scope

This protocol applies to all members of Colegio Bolivar’s Community.

Accountability

The staff responsible for implementing this Plan are: Maintenance Coordinator, Transportation Coordinator, Safety Coordinator, Human Resources Leader, Occupational Health Professional, Medical Service and Administrative Team.

Goals

• Prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 in the community’s academic and work interactions.
• Support community members in complying with basic self-care measures: physical distancing, proper use of masks, washing and sanitizing hands, staying in places with adequate ventilation, vaccination against COVID-19 and other preventive measures that prove to be effective.
• Detect in a timely manner suspected and/or confirmed cases of COVID-19 to break the chain of transmission in the community.
• Maintain assertive communication between areas for effective implementation of biosafety measures.  
• Provide training to staff members in all areas.
• Comply with the guidelines issued by the national and local governments.

Definitios

Social isolation: separation of an individual or group of individuals, known or believed to be infected with a communicable and potentially infectious disease, from those who are not infected, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or mandated by order of the health authority.

Respiratory isolation: applied when respiratory droplets with low diffusion range (up to 1 meter) are expected to be present.

Asymptomatic: individuals who have no symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection.

Droplet isolation: refers to measures to control infections by respiratory viruses and other droplet-borne agents (> 5 microns) that are propelled short distances through the air and can enter through the eyes, nasal mucosa, mouth or non-intact skin of the person in contact with the patient.

Alternation: the option of combining educational work strategies at home with face-to-face meetings in educational establishments agreed upon by families and students, after a diagnosis of compliance with biosafety conditions to preserve the wellbeing of the educational community and definition by directors and teachers for the adjustment of the curriculum, adaptation of the school day, ages of students who can return, number of groups, meeting places, among others.

Self-care: according to the World Health Organization’s definition, ‘self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider‘ (WHO, 1998). In the context of the Statutory Health Law, the first duty of the person with the health service is to ‘provide for his or her self-care, that of his or her family and that of his or her community‘.  Self-care comprises the capabilities, decisions and actions that the individual takes to protect his or her health and that of his or her family, applying practices such as self-isolation, monitoring of vital signs such as temperature, oximetry, blood pressure, etc.

Agglomeration (crowding): Agglomeration is defined as any concurrence of individuals in enclosed and open spaces in which the minimum physical distance of 1 meter between each cannot be maintained. Crowding is also considered to exist when the architectural layout of the space and the distribution of furniture and fixtures hinder or prevent such distance.

Biosafety: a set of preventive measures aimed at eliminating or minimizing the biological risk factor that may affect the health, environment or life of people, ensuring that the development or final product of such procedures does not threaten the health and safety of workers and the educational community.

Risk communication: Is the real-time exchange of information, recommendations, and opinions between experts and/or officials and people who face a threat (risk) to their survival, health or economic or social well-being. The ultimate goal of risk communication is that every person exposed to a risk is able to make informed decisions in order to mitigate the effects of the threat (risk) (PAHO).

Clusters: Two (2) or more individuals from the same institution with a positive laboratory result for SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 disease within the last 14 days.

COVID-19: a new disease caused by a new coronavirus. The name of the disease was chosen following the best practices established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for naming new infectious diseases in humans.

Disinfection: the destruction of microorganisms on a surface by means of chemical or physical agents.

Disinfectant: a germicide that practically inactivates all recognized pathogenic microorganisms, but not necessarily all forms of microbial life, e.g. spores. This term applies only to inanimate objects.

Physical distancing: Increasing the spatial extent between individuals and decreasing the frequency of contact between them to reduce the risk of spreading a disease. For the case of COVID-19, it is indicated to maintain 2 meters between individuals, even between those who are asymptomatic. Physical distancing strategies can be applied at the individual, group and spatial levels. The first ones seek to avoid physical contact, the second ones to limit concentrations, population displacements, among others, and the third ones to influence the arrangement and management of spaces to favor distance between people. Although physical distancing is a challenge, it is a cornerstone in reducing the transmission of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.

Cohort strategy: This refers to the strategy of identifying and forming fixed groups of children and adolescents who remain together throughout the day, maintaining physical distance.

Hypochlorite: A group of disinfectants that are among the most commonly used disinfectants that have a rapid effect on a wide variety of microorganisms. They are the most appropriate for general disinfection. As this group of disinfectants corrodes metals and also produces discoloration effects, it is necessary to rinse the disinfected surfaces with this product as soon as possible.

Cleaning: The action of eliminating dirt on surfaces and materials, using chemical products such as detergents, cleaning liquids, etc.

Surgical mask: personal airway protection item that helps block larger droplets of particles, spills, aerosols or splashes, which could contain microbes, viruses and bacteria, from reaching the nose or mouth.