11 June 2020, Dubai, UAE - In preparation for the possibility of schools opening on 30th August, 2020, Arcadia School today announced that it would be implementing a mandatory COVID-19 testing programme for all its staff. The announcement was made after the UAE government announced mandatory Polymerise Chain Reaction (PCR) testing for all international tourists entering the country in the near future.
The PCR testing programme will be implemented across all Arcadia staff categories from the janitorial and technical staff, through to the teachers and the leadership team. The cost of the testing will be borne by the school entirely as it seeks to lead the way in delivering education under what will be the new normal.
"At Arcadia, we take the safety and protection of our students and the wider Arcadia family very seriously. It is our priority that upon entering the school, our parents, teachers and students feel confident in the knowledge that all possible precautions have been taken to stop the spread of COVID-19”, said Mary Donnelly, Head of Primary. “The mandatory COVID-19 testing programme for all staff is one aspect of the many measures we have in place and we are confident that with such measures in place, Arcadia will be a safe space for our community."
Polymerise Chain Reaction (PCR) testing is the predominant method that global healthcare systems are using to test human beings for Covid-19. PCR tests are used to directly detect the presence of an antigen, and can tell whether or not someone has the virus very early on thereby breaking the transmission chain.
Established in 2016, Arcadia Education is a K-12 British school operator headquartered in Dubai with an ethos that centers on nurturing the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and athletes through a holistic approach to education. Arcadia School is the first in a series of community-based schools delivering the vision of Mohan Valrani and the Al Shirawi Group.
