Minedu: Rosendo Serna proposes that face-to-face classes be at 100% capacity in schools and without the distance meter

The Ministry of Education (Minedu) seeks that schools operate with a capacity of 100% and that the requirement to maintain a meter of distance between schoolchildren in classrooms. This was stated by the holder of the portfolio Rolando Serna, during a day of HPV vaccination at the Julio C. Tello school in Ate Vitarte.

In order to achieve the cancellation of these restrictions, Serna will present the proposal this Wednesday at a meeting of the Council of Ministers. It should be noted that this measure would only be implemented in schools where teachers' vaccination rates reach 100% with three doses and, in the case of students, 80% with two doses.

“When this goal is reached, each educational institution will be able to decide that classes are held at 100% guaranteeing the health and lives of students and teachers,” the Minister of Health, Jorge López, noted in the activity in which the Minister of Health, Jorge López, also participated.

Serna also said that the approval of this proposal will not mean that the mask will be stopped. “The mask will continue to be a fundamental safety requirement, and the protocol that we will issue in a complementary form will also establish guidelines for permanent ventilation of classrooms,” he said.

SCHOOLS AS VACCINATION CENTERS

It also reported that, in order to ensure high levels of immunization among schoolchildren, educational institutions will be converted into vaccination centers for students with the prior authorization of parents.

For this, parents must complete and sign a form that will be sent to them beforehand, so that the brigades of the Ministry of Health can then apply the vaccine to their children in their educational institutions.

On the other hand, Serna highlighted the efforts made by teachers to get vaccinated and resume face-to-face classes to ensure the educational service for children and young people in the country, as well as the work of health personnel who risked their lives to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

USE OF MASKS UNDER EVALUATION

The executive director of Public Health Surveillance (CDC), Cesar Munayco, reported that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) will this week issue a proposal on the removal of masks in open places, which would be linked to increased vaccination coverage against COVID-19.

“The removal of the mask in open places is already being discussed in the Ministry of Health. This week the proposal should come out, but it must be linked, according to scientific evidence, to vaccination coverage, mainly with high-risk groups,” said in the CDC Peru weekly report.

In addition, he said that the reduction in cases of infections and deaths has been sustained in recent weeks, but that does not mean that the pandemic has ended in Peru. On the contrary, he noted that vaccination coverage needs to be increased.

“We have very low levels of cases, but we need to improve coverage with third doses, as well as coverage in children aged 5 to 11 and the young population,” he said.

“Young people are less at risk of getting complicated, but getting infected with COVID-19 is like a lottery: you don't know how you're going to respond, so it's better to have a third dose,” he added.