Israel - Coronavirus is hovering among schools, 43 schools closed

Coronavirus is once again spreading in schools in Israel and today, after two days of close consultations, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has given orders to close every institution in which even a single positive case has been reported. Two weeks ago the reopening of schools, at all levels, had been greeted with relief from the pupils and parents. But no practical solution had been devised against overcrowding in the classes to which, in the second half of May, a heat wave was added which forced the students to remove the masks.
    In the last few days there has been a rapid increase in infections in schools. The main outbreak occurred in the 'Ginnasio Gerusalemme' (with over 100 contagions, among students and teachers). In the meantime, the positive cases in Israeli schools have reached 255. Yesterday 31 institutions had been closed as a precautionary measure, while today their number has risen to 43. About 7,500 students are now in quarantine.
    Faced with this situation, an educational network, the 'Branco Weiss' (which has 27 schools) has decided to develop a "hybrid teaching" project that seeks to reconcile the frontal meeting with teachers in the classroom with lessons and other educational activities. instead conducted remotely, via zoom. In this way we want to guarantee on one hand the continuity of the educational activity and on the other a greater distancing between the students. The difficulty, it has been explained, consists in synchronizing this kind of teaching. Coronavirus, an executive noted, acted as a stimulus. During the next summer, 'hybrid' teaching programs will be developed to best combine face-to-face lessons with home activities. In September, with the start of the new school year, this initiative will start.