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By decision of the Government, starting on Monday, December 7, stores selling seasonal items will be opened for the holidays, when at the same time schools remain closed. The Government and the Committee of Experts have stressed that “schools are the ones that will be closed last and will open first in cases of strict restrictive measures” as is the case in the current period. In fact, this issue took on relevant dimensions yesterday, perhaps without reason, with the result that there is a dichotomy between the members of the Commission but also between scientists and the Government.
It is a fact that closed schools are a problem with significant socioeconomic dimensions. Almost no households with students want schools to remain closed, as do most students. The reason for the closure of the schools is the attempt to prevent the movement of the population, although the student community is not, based on scientific data, a field of transmission of the coronavirus.
The opening of a certain part of the seasonal retail stores, which is done solely on the basis of economic criteria, creates a division. It is a fact that synchronicity and increased population movement will not be prevented at a time when the epidemic, despite its declining course, is quite widespread. It is considered true that due to the psychology of individuals, it is very likely that unintentionally, personal protection measures are not observed and that we have a new intensity of spread of the virus.
On the other hand, it will be a financial disaster if an entire branch of economic activity loses the only period that can function. So it seems that in the scales “health-economic disaster risk” the latter prevailed.
Following this development and although it is a fact that the schools will not open on Monday 7/12, there was a discussion on this issue in the Committee of Experts. The committee had no particular difficulty deciding that the issue is not an emergency, as the state will decide next week.
At its meeting, the Committee of Experts addressed the issue, but did not reach a joint recommendation to the Government. According to the information, all the possibilities were discussed, but given the government’s decision to extend the confinement until December 14 and the different positions of the scientists, it was considered appropriate that any decision of the Commission be taken next week.
Among the proposals was the possible opening of schools on December 14, provided there is an improvement in the course of the coronavirus epidemic in the country and the corresponding decision to phase out the restrictive measures by the Government.
However, the proposed school opening on January 7, that is, after the Christmas season, appears to be gaining significant ground, which is expected to have paid off and the closing measures.
It should also be noted that the absolute responsibility for the decision will be the Government, which must also guarantee the security framework.
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