Children with runny nose can just go to school.

Children with runny nose can just go to school.

Children up to 12 years old no longer need to get tested if they have symptoms and can go to school with a runny nose. The cabinet announced this last week during an urgent press conference.

“If they have a cold, they can just go to school,” said Minister Hugo de Jonge. With a runny nose, it is advised to send the child to school, but not if they have a fever or other corona symptoms. Also, if a housemate has corona, the child must stay home. Especially if the housemate has a fever or difficulty breathing.

Testing

Children in primary school do not need to be tested if they have symptoms that match corona. Only if the child is very sick is it advised to contact a doctor, who can then decide if a test is necessary. The cabinet hopes the pressure in test locations will decrease soon. Due to the pressure last week, it was almost impossible to schedule a test by phone or online.

The rules summarized

Primary school DO NOT go to school if:

• Coughing more than occasionally
• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Contact with a COVID patient
• Fever in someone in the household

Primary school DO go to school if:

• Cold/runny nose

Testing only if the patient:

• Has had contact with a COVID patient
• Is seriously ill
• Has received advice from a doctor

The same rules apply in secondary school as for adults. So stay home with corona-related symptoms (including a runny nose) and get tested.

Spread

Previously, all children from 6 years old had to be tested if they had symptoms and stay home while waiting for the result. This is no longer the case. According to De Jonge, this can happen because it has been shown that children hardly contribute to the spread of the virus.

Criticism

There is much discussion among primary school staff about the decision. On social media, the topic #runnyNosedecision was trending for some time and still gets much criticism. On Monday in the newspaper Trouw, primary school director Eva Naaijkens of the Alan Turing School in Amsterdam said: “Was not the point to tighten the measures? And then suddenly they announce a relaxation. In our teacher group chat, colleagues immediately started asking questions about their own health.” The Primary Education Council reacted positively. “The continuity of education is better ensured this way and we are happy about that,” a spokesperson told the newspaper.

More information

The answers to frequently asked questions about corona are in our FAQ. This has been fully updated. Do you have questions? Call our advice point on weekdays at 088-6050101.