AS students of St Christopher's School, Scared Heart School and Naseem School start their delayed academic year this week amidst the current H1N1 scare, school authorities have outlined health and safety procedures for the returning pupils.
An earlier Ministry of Health and Education directive ordered students returning from abroad to stay at home for a week before attending school.
The one-week safety net, which was the reason why some schools delayed reopening, will now not be enforced after the upcoming Eid holidays but officials say the situation could change.
All educational institutions that have already opened earlier have been conducting daily health and temperature checks according to Ministry of Health and Education recommendations and this practice will be followed by all schools.
The country's 205 government schools are due to open on September 27 while kindergartens and nurseries for children aged six and under will start on October 4.
The Ministry of Health protocol for dealing with a possible swine flu patient has also changed and anyone reporting to health centres with fever and flu-like symptoms will automatically be administered anti-viral Tamiflu treatment without an investigative swab test.
The health authorities have ordered one million swine flu vaccines and the first batch will arrive on the island next month for pilgrims, students with chronic diseases, medical staff and pregnant women.
Health Ministry school health co-ordinator Dr Mariam Harmas Al Hajeri has announced plans to hold a workshop for school councillors to learn about dealing with the illness and launching campaigns targeting parents.
A guidebook dealing with swine flu for the 2009-2010 school year covering precautionary measures, early detection and co-ordinating with parents and instructors was also released.
Meanwhile, leading Bahrain companies have donated hundreds of temperature recorders to schools to help identify children suffering from the virus.
Telecom giant Batelco and Kuwait Finance House-Bahrain, one of the leading Islamic banks in Bahrain, have donated almost 1,000 in support of H1N1 diagnosis initiatives.
The devices have been distributed to government and private schools all over the kingdom by the Ministry of Health with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education to help prevent the rapid spread of the virus amongst youngsters.
Thermoflash, an accurate and reliable flu pandemic thermometer, can be used at a distance to detect high temperatures. There is no need for contact, making the device simple to use. Any child entering his or her school, who has a high fever, will be quickly identified.
Assistant under-secretary for Primary Care and Public Health Dr Mariam Al Jalahma said the contributions were making a 'huge difference' in the battle to prevent the spread of the virus.
GulfWeekly spoke to wide segment of residents, local Bahrainis and visitors on the island about the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu. Here is what they had to say ...
Khalid Baljeek, 21, works at Ahli United Bank and is married to Fatima Farsani, 20. They are Bahrainis and live in Hamad Town:
'I'm scared of the H1N1 virus and I have resorted to wearing a mask when I travel out of Bahrain on business. We actively use the hand sanitizer. But so far Bahrain hasn't had too many cases and it is relatively safer than many other countries.'
Claudia Kaden, 39, is from Germany and lives in Amwaj Islands with her family. Sue, 11, is a pupil at Nadine School and Charlotte, three, goes to kindergarten:
'I'm doing nothing out of the ordinary to safeguard my children because I really cannot do much to protect them. Expatriate husbands are travelling abroad all the time and then the maid or the gardener could bring the virus in the house. It is an over-reaction to close the schools because the children are bored at home and are meeting their friends anyway and are swimming and attending parties. Charlotte is a high-risk individual but there are no vaccines up till now in Bahrain to keep her protected.'
Matt Wilcox, 42, is from New Zealand. He is a pilot with Cathy Pacific Airline and was in Bahrain for a day:
'I had Swine Flu in July when I was in New Zealand. Although I was quite sick and felt very tired - it was certainly one of the worst flus I have ever had - I feel that there is no need to panic. My wife and two boys (aged five and three) also contracted the virus but we were all treated at the right time with Tamiflu. I'm not worried because it is only a flu - albeit a bit severe.'
Zahra Nimah, 24, is a Bahraini and lives in Zallaq. She works at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) and has two daughters - Halla, four, and Hanan, three months:
'I don't take my baby out at all because of the current Swine Flu scare and Halla rarely goes to public places these days. It is good that the government has shut the schools. Halla watches television at home or goes to our relatives or friends house with me. I tell her to wash her hands a lot to protect herself.'
Ahmed Ali, 22, is a Bahraini. He lives in Isa Town and is a marketing representative for Diyar Al Muharraq:
'In my job I have to deal with people all the time and I have stepped up my personal hygiene since the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. When I heard about the swine flu I went on the internet to get more information about the virus. These days I think twice about travelling out of Bahrain and have become vigilant about my general health.'
Chantelle, 35, is from South Africa. She is a musician and lives in Zinj. Her two boys, Dillion, seven, and Damian, four, are pupils of British School:
'I'm using a disinfectant called Disifin. It comes in a tablet form and I dissolve it in water before use. We stayed in Bahrain during summer holidays and with the H1N1 virus we thought that it was just as well that we stayed in one place. Bahrain is a small island so you can't be too careful and it is a prudent decision to close schools. It is better to be safe than sorry. I organise play dates for my children and we swim a lot. They also remain occupied with piano class.'
