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Minister of Education and Research Jaak Aab (Center) has made a proposal to the COVID-19 scientific council and the government to return to contact study in most Estonian schools after the Christmas break. Exceptions will be left in place for Harju and Ida-Viru schools where only grades 1-4 and graduating classes will be allowed to return to school.
“The government has supported the proposal,” Aab told Postimees after the government sitting on Tuesday. “In Harju and Ida-Viru counties where other tough measures are in effect, only students of grades 1-4 as well as ninth- and twelfth-graders can return to school,” Aab explained. He added that the remaining grades will remain on distance learning until January 17.
As regards other counties, the government has decided to allow all students (elementary, basic, high and vocational schools as well as universities) to return to contact learning. “However, schools will be returning to the fall situation where if a staff member or student is diagnosed with COVID-19, decisions whether to send home the class or the entire school will be up to school councils,” Aab explained.
The minister emphasized that a very serious allowance has been made and that the government will be reviewing the effect of restrictions on January 7. Aab added that measures will be reconsidered regionally should the COVID-19 situation deteriorate outside Harju and Ida-Viru counties. “Today, we have two regions that clearly stand out in terms of infection rate, which is what necessitated this decision.”
Irja Lutsar, head of the scientific council, professor of virology at the University of Tartu, said that the Health Board and individual schools are in charge on the county level. “The Health Board will be monitoring the local infection rate, while school operators will consider what is feasible,” Lutsar explained. She said, for example, that if several teachers have been infected in a situation where students are fine, the school needs to decide which form of study it can offer. Lutsar also pointed out that the board sees no reason to put entire schools on remote learning if the county has a nursing home outbreak but only a minimal number of cases outside of it. “Nursing home or convent outbreaks in small places do not really affect the wider community,” she said.
Potential relaxing of restrictions will depend on the situation on January 7. “The government, Health Board and the scientific council will look at data and hospitals’ workload on January 7,” Lutsar said, adding that is when it will become clear whether Harju and Ida-Viru schools will continue with hybrid, contact or remote learning.
Minister Jaak Aab said that the government has also decided to extend restrictions on hobby activities, youth work and sports all over Estonia until January 10, except in Harju and Ida-Viru counties where the restrictions will remain until January 17. “So that children could go to hobby centers once the Christmas holiday ends,” he explained. This matter will also be revisited in early January to determine whether measures can be lifted.