Pupils attending the first or second grades, as well as those attending preparatory or special needs schools will be able to return on Wednesday, November 18th, the Minister of Education Robert Plaga announced.
“The costs of slowing down the epidemic were borne by the Czech education system, so I am glad that with this step we can return to the full-time form,” Plaga announced during the press conference on Wednesday according to Novinky.cz.
The return will be accompanied by strict rules to ensure the safety of the students. Pupils will be able to study in a full class but different grades will not be allowed to meet. Furthermore, masks will be mandatory during the entire day whether in classrooms or other common areas. The only exceptions would be kids in kindergartens and students at special needs schools. The school’s administration will be responsible for ensuring proper ventilation of the rooms throughout the day.
Otherwise, the classes should resume as per usual with the only exception of music and physical education classes – these are not yet allowed. School canteens and other common areas will be available to students.
According to Plaga, further action regarding the full reopening of schools will depend on the epidemiological development in the country. Currently, there are 147,084 active COVID-19 cases in the country. 277,473 have recovered, 5,323 died and 1,206 remain in a serious/critical condition.
