As schools shut across the US, Europe made it a mission to keep them open

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Fri, 2020-11-13 10:32 — mike kraft

As schools shut across the US, Europe made it a mission to keep them open Late last month, Ireland entered a strict, six-week lockdown against the spread of Covid-19, under which social gatherings are prohibited, exercise permitted only within five kilometers of the home, and bars and restaurants closed. Emma Reynolds, CNN CNN

London (CNN)Late last month, Ireland entered a strict, six-week lockdown against the spread of Covid-19, under which social gatherings are prohibited, exercise permitted only within five kilometers of the home, and bars and restaurants closed.

But as he announced the new restrictions, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin emphasized that schools and childcare facilities should stay open. "This is necessary because we cannot and will not allow our children and young people's futures to be another victim of his disease. They need their education," Martin said.

There has been a similar story in many European countries including Germany, France and England, which made it their mission to keep in-person learning going, even as they imposed strict measures to combat the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

In contrast, major cities in the United States, including Detroit, Boston and Philadelphia, are shutting schools and moving classes online in a bid to stave off rising infection rates.

There are rates of infection at which is too dangerous to keep schools open, and that has happened in a number of places in Europe," Anthony Staines, professor of Health Systems at Dublin City University, told CNN.

But he said that the major response should be "effective, highly resourced public health."

"Schools do spread this virus, but they're not a major route of spread," he added.

Staines said it was appropriate for different places to employ different measures "because their economic situation is different, the spread of the virus is different." Israel, for example, faced major outbreaks linked to schools.

School closures "may be part of a response for a period of time" but "with appropriate knowledge, information and understanding, closing schools is not required," he added.

"European countries have made a choice, I suppose, that trying to keep schools open is very important." ...

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