Nicaragua: face-to-face classes begin for 1.7 million students

Parents who accompanied their children on the first day of school told CNN that they fear for their children's health.

(CNN Spanish) -

In Nicaragua, primary and secondary school students returned to classes on Monday in person, despite the recommendations of independent doctors in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic and in the face of the increase in infections and deaths from covid- 19 in the country.

The Ministry of Education announced the start of face-to-face classes for this February 1.

He also reported that he exceeded the expectation of enrolling 1.7 million students that the official website El 19 digital had projected in January.

Parents who accompanied their children on the first day of school told CNN that they fear for their children's health.

They explained that they preferred to wait longer to avoid contagion of covid-19.

Specialist warnings about classes in Nicaragua

Dr. José Antonio Vásquez, president of the independent union association Unidad Médica Nicaragüense, told CNN that taking children to schools implies greater chances of contagion of the coronavirus.

He explained that the decision to reopen schools in the midst of a pandemic requires national, local and family prevention factors.

"There is no protocol that is known specifically to reduce the probable contagion in school classrooms by the government," said Vásquez.

“The local factors that must be done in each school, for example, the school director, what are the measures that must be followed and that many times are not implemented due to the high number of children.

In some classrooms there are up to 50 children ”, explained the doctor.

He also added that some schools lack potable water and that many students use a saturated public transport service.

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CNN tried to learn about the measures that the Ministry of Education will implement to prevent coronavirus infections in classrooms, but it is still waiting for a response from the Communication and Citizenship Council, which depends on Vice President Rosario Murillo.

The Ministries of Education and Health announced on January 12 in official media that they would develop a day of fumigation and elimination of rats and mosquito breeding sites in schools.

The goal is to avoid vector-borne diseases.

They said that they will also carry out a training process to strengthen sanitary measures in schools, although they made no particular mention of covid-19.

Measures in private schools

In contrast, the authorities of private educational centers in Managua, such as the Colegio Pureza de María, established staggered class schedules.

Some primary school groups will come two days a week and others three times, and the following week they will come in reverse schedule.

They will replace face-to-face hours with work at home with the parent or guardian, under a methodological guide using a technological tool.

In addition, permanent use of a mask and social distancing are mandatory in these establishments, among other health measures for classes in Nicaragua.

According to Vásquez, children are less likely to develop symptoms of the disease, but they can cause outbreaks in their communities.

"The big problem is the risks for teachers and relatives, because children can be sources of contagion, and the family nucleus is the one that will decide whether or not to send their son and daughter to classes," he added.

The situation of covid-19 in Nicaragua

Nicaragua reports until January 26 an accumulated 6,253 cases of the new coronavirus and 169 deaths from that cause.

The independent Covid-19 Citizen Observatory reports 12,716 cases that it calls "suspicious" and 2,947 deaths from pneumonia or that it calls "suspicious" for covid-19 as of January 27.

The report of the independent Citizen Observatory Covid-19 to January 20 reports 20 deaths and 90 new cases of the disease and, in the following week, to January 27 it reports 18 new deaths from pneumonia or coronavirus and 164 new "suspicious" cases of coronavirus.

In contrast, the Ministry of Health totals 6,253 cases and 169 deaths from coronavirus.

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