The reason for Japanese schools' crazy Covid rules

Many Japanese schools have come up with various, er, innovative ways to stop the spread of Covid that go above and beyond the national guidelines (i.e., masks).

In addition to 2-meter-long batons for relay races…

…and virtual school trips,…

…other rules include not gargling, eating lunch within 14 minutes, disinfecting cooking utensils, exchanging bowls when having seconds, banning football, prohibiting students from touching, prohibiting students from sitting in each other’s chairs, and changing conversation partners after 5 minutes.

The main logic behind many of these rules is not so much to prevent infection but to avoid students and staff being classified as close-contacts of Covid cases if someone at the school tests positive. In Japan, you are classified as a close-contact and expected to self-isolate for 10 days if you 1) were not wearing a mask, 2) were within 1 meter, and 3) spent at least 15 minutes in the presence of someone who tested positive for Covid. I’ll let you decide whether these stipulations are any more logical and evidence-based than the rules designed to get around them.

And if a student or staff member does test positive, schools can deflect complaints from parents and avoid reputational damage by saying they followed the rules.

Well, if it saves one life…

[https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/suicides-among-japanese-children-record-high-during-pandemic-media-2021-10-14/]