WHO urges to keep schools open despite rising infections in Europe

The World Health Organization (WHO) urged to keep schools open in Europe, with protection measures if necessary, despite the rise in infections for the fourth consecutive week.

More than half of the 53 countries that make up the European region of the WHO reported a “marked increase”Of cases in all age groups last week, 18% more on average, while in the rest of the continents the downward trend continues.

Forty-five countries in the European region, which includes Russia Several former Soviet republics have already advised maintaining face-to-face teaching, but seven others have opted for total or partial closures.

The WHO stressed that schools should be “the last place to close and the first to reopen“And that interrupting their activity should be”the last resort ”.

“Last year’s extensive school closings, disrupting the education of millions of children and adolescents, did more harm than good, especially for the mental and social well-being of children. We cannot repeat the same mistakes“Said in a statement the director of OMS Europe, Hans Kluge.

Kluge appealed that the long-term interest of children should be a “priority”And defended that there are more effective tools to stop transmission.

Among the measures recommended by the WHO physical distance, frequent hand washing, masks, adequate ventilation in classrooms, and increasing access to tests, especially in high-incidence environments, are included.

OMS Europe, based in Copenhagen, reiterated that it recommends the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for ages 12 to 17 years and that for those under 12 it will release new guidance when there is new evidence from the vaccine studies that are being carried out.

The European region of the WHO has so far registered 76 million COVID-19 cases and 1.4 million deaths.