The Armenian government extended the one-week holiday later in October as part of its efforts to contain the latest wave of infections. The primary, secondary and high schools were thus effectively closed for the first time since October 2020.
The government last week opted against distance courses and decided to send schoolchildren back to classes instead despite clearly failing to cut the coronavirus infection rate.
The Armenian Ministry of Health reported a record 62 deaths from COVID-19 on November 2. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths officially registered in the country of about 3 million reached 8,037 on Monday.
Almast Avetisian, the principal of Yerevan’s Secondary School No. 197, welcomed the government’s decision. She said that many of her students were infected with the coronavirus or seasonal flu in the run-up to the two-week break.
“The children have recuperated during this period and we have very good attendance today,” Avetisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Her students were also happy to be back at school while admitting that they have trouble wearing mandatory face masks during the classes.
“We don’t learn as much during distance courses as we do when coming to the school,” said one schoolgirl.
Health Minister Anahit Avanesian cautioned that schools having major coronavirus outbreaks will have to switch to online classes.
On October 29, the Ministry of Health allowed children aged 12 and older to get vaccinated against the coronavirus with their parents’ consent. Only about 50 minors have been inoculated since then, according to Avanesian.
The ministry said in the morning that nearly 264,000 citizens have been fully vaccinated to date. Avanesian put a brave face on this statistics, arguing that the pace of vaccinations in Armenia has accelerated significantly over the past month thanks to administrative measures taken by the government.