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Despite the conversion of the Corona traffic light to orange in seven districts “the schools remain yellow and the universities likewise”. Minister of Education Heinz Fassmann (ÖVP) emphasized this in a press conference on Tuesday. The recommendation of the traffic light commission was followed here. He said that the occurrence of infections showed that it was “epidemiologically justifiable” to keep the educational institutions open.
Originally it had been said that upper secondary schools in “orange” districts could switch to home schooling. Since the start of school, 202 cases of proven infection have been counted among students and 28 among teachers, the minister said. Only four percent of the cases are related to schools, there are no clusters and only very rarely transmissions in the area that is of “secondary importance” here, said Faßmann with regard to students under 12 years of age.
In consultation with experts, it was therefore decided to “decouple measures from the traffic light color”. Pupils, teachers and parents now needed stability above all else and not daily changes. The universities could also continue their previous plans for the winter semester, which begins at the beginning of October, under the same conditions.
Faßmann stated, however, that there was “a problem” with the rapid testing of suspected cases at schools. It was an “empirical fact: it takes too long”, said the minister. It is not acceptable that “classes are left in limbo” when suspicious cases are being tested, considering at the same time that existing testing capacities at the Vienna Biocenter are not being used. He will work towards ensuring that such resources are fed into the system, the Minister emphasized and referred to a test monitoring program in schools starting at the end of September.
- Hector Pascua, Picture: stockilyapp.com
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