Odesa Schools Quarantined Amid Rising Influenza Cases

The school and 144 classrooms in other schools in Odesa have been quarantined due to students contracting influenza and acute respiratory infections.

This was reported by Olena Buynevych, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Odesa City Council.

She reminded that a general quarantine with the closure of all educational institutions is announced by doctors if the epidemic threshold is exceeded. Currently, it has not been exceeded, so schools are generally open. However, if 20% of students in a class or group fall ill, the administration of the institution must close it for quarantine. If the number of sick students reaches this mark, the entire school must be closed.

A week ago, the Odesa Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 45 schools, five vocational education institutions, and 4 kindergartens in Odesa Oblast were quarantined due to the high incidence of influenza and ARVI among children.

Most educational institutions were closed in Berezovsky district (13), Odesa (12), Podolsk (6), Rozdilnyansky and B-Dnistrovsky (5 each), and Bolgradsky (2).

Also, 4 kindergartens have stopped working.

A sharp increase in the incidence was recorded in the following districts:

• Berezovsky - by 18.4%;
• B-Dnistrovsky - by 9%;
• Bolgradsky - by 6.3%;
• Podilskyi - by 4%.

In other areas of Odesa region, the incidence rate is decreasing by 4-8%.

On February 4, schools and kindergartens in Chornomorsk, Odesa Oblast, were quarantined due to the increase in the incidence of influenza and ARVI. The decision was made by the Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergency Situations of the Chornomorsk community.

According to the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Black Sea Hospital, kindergartens will be suspended from February 4 to 14, 2025, due to the 20% threshold of morbidity among children.

Meanwhile, in Odesa, the Health Commission supported the change in the status of the Borys Reznik Children's Diagnostic Center. This was done in order to officially expand the list of medical services already provided by the medical institution.

Кирило Бойко