Bangladesh may delay school reopening if COVID resurgence continues

The government may review the decision to reopen educational institutions if the rise in the coronavirus infection rate continues, says Dipu Moni.

“We are watching the situation every day. We put maximum priority on the health of the teachers, students, employees and parents,” the education minister told reporters after an event in Dhaka on Friday.

“We will review the decision following the national advisory committee’s advices if coronavirus cases continue to rise,” she said.

Dipu Moni had announced by the end of February that the schools and colleges will reopen on Mar 30 after a year of shutdown due to the outbreak.

The government had earlier decided to reopen the universities on May 24.

The government cancelled the PEC tests for fifth graders, JSC tests for the eighth graders and annuals exams of other grades last year due to the pandemic while HSC results were published by averaging the scores of JSC and SSC tests.

It ordered the educational institutions to complete the preparation for in-person lessons attaching maximum priority to the health of the students, teachers and support staff so that they can reopen anytime as the outbreak ebbed in the beginning of this year.

The coronavirus infection rate has been rising again since early March.

Bangladesh recorded 1,066 new cases of the coronavirus in the daily count published Friday, taking the tally of infections to 555,222. The daily test positivity rate crossed 6 percent for the first time in over two months.

The death toll among confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 8,515 after 13 fatalities were registered in the 24 hours to 8am.