Romanian schools, universities not to reopen in this school year

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Monday that schools across the country will no longer open in the current school year, which ends on June 12.

"It has been decided today that for most students, in this school year, kindergartens, schools and universities will not reopen," the president said in a televised statement after a meeting at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and several other cabinet officials involved in fighting the epidemic.

According to him, social distancing could not have been respected if schools were reopened now when the coronavirus epidemic is on.

Students will continue the forms of distance learning until June 12, when the current school year ends, the president said.

Iohannis specified that pupils in graduating years may return to school, between June 2 and June 12, in order to prepare for the national exams, but under strict conditions of social distancing.

"There will be a maximum of 10 pupils in a classroom, they will be there for a maximum of two to three hours," he stressed.

Romania closed all schools and universities, as well as kindergartens across the country on March 11, soon after the east European country reported its first case on Feb. 26 and after several teenagers in a school in western Romania tested positive for COVID-19 infection.

At present, the number of diagnosed patients in Romania is increasing by some 300 per day. The authorities announced on Monday that the total number of confirmed cases reached 11,339 and fatalities rose to 631.