Schools are meant to reopen on Monday.
Education authorities have commissioned risk assessments for every school, Education Minister Owen Bonnici announced today.
Independent inspectors, which have been approved by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), are in the process of visiting each school in order to ensure that the protocols implemented “on the ground” are in accordance with those outlined by health authorities.
Meanwhile, following MUT’s statement yesterday that talks failed between them and education authorities, the minister said today that said talks have now resumed. MUT had stated yesterday that the tardiness of preparations to reopen schools “has led to a lot of uncertainty in the sector and it is becoming clearer that preparations started too late and the authorities are now in a state of absolute panic."
This afternoon, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Malta (and another six EU countries) is of “high concern” due to the rising death rates of COVID-19. The ECDC said that these countries have “an increased proportion of hospitalised and severe cases.” Malta currently ranks in third.