site.btaTotal of 626,260 Pupils Attending In-person Classes, after March 29 Online Learning Possible Only with Written Permission

The pupils who are still attending classes online due to refusal to get tested for COVID-19 once a week, will have to return to the classroom on March 29. An order of the Health Ministry lifts the requirement for testing in schools as of that date. The other epidemic measures - protective masks, disinfection, and regular ventilation - remain in force, the Education and Science Ministry said. 

After March 29, online learning remains an option only for pupils who have a written permission. Parents can exempt their children from attending in-person classes over health issues or another valid reason as proven by a relevant document. Online learning for up to 30 days requires permission from the school principal and for more than a month, from the head of the regional office of education.  

This week saw the return to in-person classes of 1,000 more pupils compared to last week, with 626,260 pupils currently being in school. Over 41 per cent of them attend classes without having to get tested for COVID-19 because of the low incidence rates in the corresponding municipalities or because they hold a Green Certificate proving vaccination against, recovery from, or antibodies for the coronavirus. Over 339,000 pupils got tested at the start of this school week.

A downward trend in positive tests has been observed for nearly a month now, their number standing at 417 this week, down by 150 from a week earlier. A total of 318 pupils tested positive this week, compared to 494 last week. An increase is observed in the number of infected teachers: 76 tested positive this week, as opposed to 44 last week.  The number of positive tests among non-pedagogical specialists remains almost unchanged: 23, compared to last week's 26, the Education Ministry said.