Coronavirus in Haiti: reopening of schools and universities on August 10

Schools in Haiti, closed since mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will reopen on August 10, the Haitian president announced on Friday, also formalizing the resumption of religious services on July 12. “Following the recommendations of the health authorities and the scientific unit on the barrier measures to be respected for the gradual reopening of the country, I am announcing for July 12 the resumption of religious services. Schools and universities will resume on August 10, ” Jovenel Moïse tweeted.

Upon the discovery of the first two cases of new coronavirus on its territory, on March 19, Haiti had decreed the closure of all schools, high schools and universities. Commercial air links were also suspended in mid-March, but government officials ordered the resumption of operations at the country's two international airports, and the first flights were able to take place on Wednesday.

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Before the months of course interruption due to the epidemic, the 2019-2020 academic year had already been largely amputated by socio-economic unrest in the fall and January. The announcement of the upcoming reopening of the schools was not accompanied by any details regarding the revised school calendar, in particular concerning the organization of state exams.

In a televised speech Monday, the Haitian president announced that in addition to the resumption of international air traffic, the four official border crossing points with the Dominican Republic would be reopened as of June 30. This announcement was contradicted Wednesday by the Dominican Minister of Health who indicated, in the press of the country, that the reopening of the border would be discussed "at the next high-level meeting" with the Dominican head of state, without specify the date.

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With less than 6,200 cases tested positive and 110 deaths officially attributed to Covid-19, the low virulence of the virus in Haiti is a "happy surprise" for the medical community who feared a massacre in the country with poor hospital infrastructure. The resumption of air links with Florida on Wednesday, the American state where a majority of the Haitian diaspora resides, however worries the medical profession which fears an importation of new cases, potentially of more aggressive strains.