MONTEVIDEO, May 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — Uruguay on Monday began the process of gradually resuming in-person classes, which have been suspended due to the novel coronavirus disease, the president of the National Public Education Administration (ANEP), Robert Silva, said.
Rural schools that operate with a single teacher began face-to-face teaching, with 726 such facilities welcoming back some 6,000 preschool and elementary school students.
“Today they open for the five hours, every day of the week, and with dining hall services enabled,” Silva told reporters on a tour of rural schools.
Everyone’s commitment to heeding social distancing measures is fundamental to achieving the best possible return to the classroom, he said.
According to the government’s timetable, preschools throughout the country will reopen on May 10, while higher levels will gradually return starting on May 18.
Uruguay is going through the worst stage of its COVID-19 outbreak, with a total of 202,492 confirmed cases and 2,724 related deaths as of Sunday.
According to the general director of Preschool and Primary Education, Graciela Fabeyro, 61 percent of teachers have already received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine. — NNN-XINHUA