Greece reopens senior high schools

Greece on Monday reopened senior high schools, covering the final three years of schooling, amid stubbornly high Covid-19 infection numbers, after authorities made available home-testing kits they hope will help control the pandemic and reopen the economy.

Pupils and teachers will wear masks and take at least two tests a week (every Monday and Thursday). Those who attend school will have to carry proof of a negative Covid-19 test. Testing is obligatory also for those who have been vaccinated against the virus.

Greece has been under lockdown-type restrictions since early November. Only special education schools have remained open since then.

On Sunday, Greek health authorities announced 1,718 new cases of the coronavirus for the 24-hour period ending 3 p.m., as well as 52 deaths. The relatively low number of cases was due mainly to the fewer tests conducted, 28,887, versus a weekly average of 51,040. There were 780 patients on ventilators.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 295,480 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 8,885 fatalities.