Faced with the coronavirus wave, Veryga hinted at plans to extend school holidays

“As the school holidays approach, the possibility of having two weeks instead of a week and a recess in the education system was being discussed today,” Veryga said at a press conference on Monday, promising that the idea would be raised. on Monday during the COVID-19 Government. Steering Committee meeting.

Veryga said he believed such a measure could be expected to “change for the better”, but only if other measures were used.

One of them is events and other restrictions where students do not gather.

Fall break for students must begin Monday, October 26 and return to school on November 3.

The minister clarified: “This is just an idea that has not been approved. As a result, 2 weeks is because this is the period in which at least one incubation cycle takes place and during which some more positive result and some change in a more positive direction can be expected.

But there is a “yes”. If such a mechanism is agreed, and if there are more accompanying measures, restrictions on events, other public places where children do not simply gather and the spread of the virus in at least one area is limited. That would be an opportunity to reduce the spread of the virus. “

In Plungė and Kelmė districts, distance education has returned. When asked if more institutions plan to switch to distance education, the minister replied: “Apparently, inevitably some institutions will switch it where infections will spread.

So far, the massive transition to distance education is not planned and efforts are being made to avoid it as much as possible, because, again, that constant presence in distance education is detrimental to the education and development of the child “.

Daiva Razmuvienė, Chief Specialist of the Communicable Disease Management Division of the National Center for Public Health (NVSC), noted that family outbreaks are being registered again and that the virus has spread from families to educational institutions and places of work.

“The figures from educational institutions are also worrying. Of the 205 cases registered yesterday, it was “registered in educational institutions,” said the epidemiologist.

In total, as of September 1, according to the NVSC specialist, 250 cases of coronavirus have been registered in educational institutions. Most of those infected are students.

Due to the possibility of extending the study license, epidemiologists are not entirely calm. According to D. Razmuvienė, if the places where students can gather are not closed, there will be more harm than good with such a measure.

“I’m not saying that long vacations can be an obstacle, but we know very well from the experience of the flu epidemic, schools are closed, students find other meeting places. And it is in those meeting places that they can gather. people from different schools, different levels, different classes. If there are closed games or other places, then of course there may be a spread of the virus, “said D. Razmuvienė.