The measure, which covers all public and private education establishments in Angola, is expressed in presidential decree 316/21, which approves the alteration of some articles of presidential decree 315/21 of 24 December, published in Diário da República.
The new decree, which enters into force on January 3, when classes were scheduled to resume, updates measures to prevent and control the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 and Covid-19 viruses.
The authorities also temporarily suspend classroom teaching activity in educational institutions in foreign States and international schools, at all levels of education, until January 16, 2022.
The new decree, signed by President João Lourenço, also updates the operating rules of other public and private services, social facilities and other activities during the period of public calamity.
The document imposes on national and foreign resident citizens and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Angola to enter the country "the observance of a mandatory home quarantine of up to ten days".
Home quarantine is considered to be concluded "with the issuance of the discharge certificate by the competent health authority, which takes place after a negative SARS-Cov-2 antigen-type test, carried out within ten days after the start of the home quarantine".
In light of the legal diploma, the holding of sports competitions in federated modalities is allowed "without the presence of the public, the minimum number of participants with a vaccination certificate and mandatory testing by all agents involved in the sporting event is limited". The measure does not cover combat and fighting modalities.
The measures in force aim to contain the spread of covid-19, when Angola already registers circulation of the Ómicron variant and daily reports a high number of cases.
The Health Minister considers the current covid-19 scenario in the country "very challenging", mainly due to the rapid transmissibility of the Ómicron variant, which reaches a daily rate of positivity between 25 and 30 percent.
Sílvia Lutucuta, who was speaking to Public Television of Angola (TPA), stated that the Ómicron strain is at this time the greatest challenge in the fight against the pandemic in the country due to its rapid contagion.
