Bulgaria’s Education Minister: 4 in 1000 classes quarantined because of Covid-19
Four in 1000 school classes in Bulgaria have been quarantined because of confirmed cases of new coronavirus since the start of the school year, Education Minister Krassimir Vulchev said on September 28, according to a report by Bulgarian National Radio.
About 0.01 per cent of pupils and 0.09 per cent of teachers are infected, not counting the 16 teachers in Gabrovo who are the first case of a cluster of infected people at a school, he said.
The regional health inspectorate and regional department of education in Gabrovo were investigating the cases at the Raicho Karolev High School in the town to see whether the reason why so many people were infected was that masks had not been worn.
He said that if the current daily averages of infections are maintained, it was expected that the percentage would increase to a maximum of one per cent. The spread of the virus was at acceptable levels so far, Vulchev said.
Vulchev said that completely going over to distance learning was not envisaged, and only those who had been in contact with infected teachers and pupils would undergo distance learning.
Currently, health authorities did not envisage mass testing of teachers and pupils for new coronavirus, he said.
Schools in Bulgaria opened on September 15 for the 2020/21 year, subject to rules (available here in English) agreed between health and education officials.
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