In Peru, school is over "for a long time"

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra ruled out Tuesday any possibility that schools and universities may soon resume class, given the scale of the new coronavirus epidemic in the country. He also warned of very important economic consequences on the country, similar to those linked to the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) between Chile - which came out victorious - and the allies Peru and Bolivia.

"It is absolutely clear that in the short and medium terms the courses will not be done on the spot, but at a distance," said Martin Vizcarra, during a press conference on the Internet, announcing that more than 51,100 cases of contamination had were identified in the country and that the number of deaths approached 1,500. He said that teaching up to university level should be done "for a long time" on the Internet but also via radio and television. A state of health emergency was declared on March 15 in Peru, the second most affected country in the region behind Brazil. The population is confined until May 10 and non-essential businesses keep doors closed.

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Schools were closed on March 12, a week after the first fatal case of Covid-19. The authorities launched a program on public television called "I learn at home" . The government has abandoned its plan developed in mid-April to resume classroom instruction on May 4 in the face of the multiplication of cases and the risk of the health system collapsing. The Ministry of Education has purchased 843,000 tablets to allow students, especially from rural areas, to study online.

Regarding the country's economic situation, the Peruvian president recalled that the conflict between the three neighboring countries had had a major impact on the Peruvian population and economy. Peru had notably lost portions of territory, Bolivia its access to the Pacific Ocean.