Zambia Delays Reopening Schools

Zambia – Reports from Zambia said that authorities are reconsidering reopening in person classes due to surge in coronavirus cases.

A statement released by President Edgar Lungu Office on Friday, January 15, 2021, says that the government has decided to delay the reopening of schools that was slated for January 18, 2021.

The Zambian government has to take the measure firstly because of the rising numbers in coronavirus cases and second because of pressure from teacher union groups, who criticize the government for wanting to reopen schools in the face of surge across the country.

Additionally, teacher unions called on the country’s education department to conduct a survey to get a clear picture of the extent of the problem before setting any date for teachers and students to return to the classrooms. But the government says that the delay is intended to put in safety measures to help fight slow spread of the coronavirus and protect students and school authorities.

Reports from the country’s health ministry say that coronavirus cases now top 32,800.