US, Europe grapple with when to reopen schools
THE QUESTION of when to reopen schools looms large as European countries and United States (US) states draw up plans to restart their battered economies.
Despite alarm among some teachers, parents and mayors, France detailed plans on Tuesday to start opening schools on May 11, with limits on class size and rules requiring face masks. Hardhit Italy intends to keep schools closed until September. And in the US, where President Donald Trump said states should seriously consider resuming classes before the end of the academic year, dozens have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or the fall. Elsewhere around the world, the virus appeared all but vanquished in New Zealand. Australia opened the beach in Sydney. Brazil was emerging as a new hotspot for infections. And new doubts were raised over whether Japan will be able to host the already-postponed Summer Olympics next year without the development of a vaccine.
Germany, widely praised for its handling of the outbreak there, reported an uptick in the infection rate since some small businesses were allowed to reopen just over a week ago. But it was too soon to say whether the easing of the restrictions was to blame.
The number of confirmed infections worldwide stood at more than three million – including one million in the US – and the confirmed global death toll topped 210,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true toll is believed to be much higher because of limited testing, differences in counting the dead, and government concealment.
Italy, Spain, France and Britain accounted for more than 21,000 virus-related deaths each, while the US recorded more than 57,000, the highest in the world.
Although the coronavirus seems to affect children far less seriously than adults, many officials, teachers and parents are concerned about the health risks that school openings could pose.
Some point to the difficulties of ensuring that children stick to social distancing and frequent handwashing, and to the dangers for teachers.
But many parents would struggle to return to work without schools being open, hampering efforts to counter the world’s deep economic slump.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that elementary schools will reopen on May 11 and high schools on May 18. He said all high-school students will have to wear masks, and class sizes will be capped at 15.