No need to close schools as yet - Owen Bonnici
Education Minister Owen Bonnici said that there is so far no need to close schools because of the coronavirus cases that have hit Malta.
However, he remarked that the ministry will take all the required decisions depending on what health authorities suggest. Last Saturday, Malta registered the first case of coronavirus.
Following a school visit at Guardian Angel School held earlier today, Bonnici was asked about the stand that the Education Ministry is taking in this regard.
The minister said that he is working hand-in-hand with the Health Ministry so as to implement any measures that are recommended
He said that any children who have travelled to infected areas need to skip school and quarantine themselves for 14 days from their arrival date and yesterday Sicily was added to the list of such infected areas.
Additionally, sanitary procedures like washing of hands are being promoted in schools with around 2,300 hand sanitizers having been distributed across all classrooms in Malta.
Notably, despite these measures, some parents are still somewhat paranoid about the situation and are refusing to send their children to school without giving any specific explanation except for fear of their child contracting the virus.
The Malta Independent asked if the ministry is taking any steps towards reassuring parents that the situation is under control so that children do not miss lessons. Bonnici said that “from the figures we have seen since Monday, the amount of absences is not that worrying as it is marginal compared to last year which means that most parents are still sending children to school.”
He explained that the ministry abides by the recommendations that the health authorities give, based on the current coronavirus situation. He added that till now, the virus has only been imported as there have been no reports of person to person transmission of the virus.
This newsroom also asked if there are plans for schools to close down if an outbreak takes place.
“We hope that we do not get to that stage but we will take any decisions required. The government took the decision to suspend all flights to Italy at the time in which it was needed and the same will apply here. You have to make a decision at the appropriate time and as things stand today since there is no sign of Maltese to Maltese transmission so the measures we have implemented are sufficient as experts have confirmed.”
This answer is similar to the one he gave to why he is not promoting mandatory quarantine on those children coming back from infected areas. He added that “educators and LSEs are helpful in this regard by ensuring that children coming from infected areas are quarantined.”
Despite the minister’s statement, the Malta Union of Teachers said that Schools should be closed down for an established period of time in view of the spread of the virus.
In a statement, the teachers’ union said attendance in some schools is down to 40%. The union remarked that it has requested a meeting with the government after evaluating the situation at schools, which are being affected by the developments related to Covid-19.
The union said it feels that there should be an immediate and urgent debate that will lead to the closure of schools for an established period of time. It added that it is making this request with great responsibility and it is well aware of the implications that such a decision would carry with it.