All primary school teachers to be tested for Covid: report

The cabinet wants to have all primary school teachers throughout the Netherlands tested for the coronavirus over the next three months, whether or not they have symptoms that could indicate an infection. This is one of multiple experiments meant to quickly identify infections so that schools don't have to close, insiders told RTL Nieuws.

The experiment will start with a limited number of schools, but the aim is to expand it to a national scale as soon as possible. Teachers will take a rapid coronavirus test by themselves, or go to a commercial test center. Part of the experiment is to find out which method works best, or whether a combination of the two is ideal.

The government is also looking at how the experiment can be extended to secondary education.

Primary schools have been open again since February 8, albeit under strict conditions. Secondary schools will reopen in early March, also under strict conditions.

There are several ongoing experiments in education, aimed at gaining insight into how the coronavirus spreads in schools, and how infections can be detected quickly while schools remain open.

An experiment in secondary education is running until the end of March, in which there will be rapid tests after an infection, according to the broadcaster.

In higher education, research is being conducted in eight regions on how colleges and universities can reopen with asymptomatic testing. This experiment will run until May 1.

The regions of Rotterdam, Nijmegen, and Den Bosch are also experimenting with students testing themselves for the coronavirus before going to class.