Venezuela reopens schools after COVID-19 closures

Children dressed in uniforms of blue pants and red shirts and wearing masks filed into schools in the capital Caracas starting at 7 am (11:00GMT) on Monday, as teachers dispensed hand sanitizer.

The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government had delayed the restart of in-person classes several times, amid new peaks in infections and vaccination delays, Aljazeera reported.

“With joy, enthusiasm, and responsibility our children and young people return to face-to-face classes, always respecting biosecurity measures,” Maduro said Monday on Twitter.

“Let’s preserve health to build the new normal', he added.

The Venezuelan Youth Minister Mervin Maldonado said 8.7 million children would return to classrooms across the country and some 3.1 million students would resume attending universities.

Supplies of medications and other necessities are scarce, she said, as Venezuela grapples with inflation and shortages amid a longstanding economic crisis compounded by international sanctions.

RHM/PR