All schools will close doors for 15 days
After several criticisms, the Portuguese government decided to back down in its decision to keep the schools open during the general lockdown.
Keeping the schools open was one of the big differences from this general lockdown to the one that was in place in March. The government decided to keep all the classes running, but in the end, it had to step back from that decision. All schools will now close for 15 days, revealed the prime minister, after the Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday.
Faced with the growing prevalence of the new strain of the virus in the country, “the precautionary principle” dictates the “interruption of all teaching activities during the next 15 days,” António Costa said at a press conference after the Council of Ministers. This interruption “will be duly compensated in the school calendar,” and the Minister of Education will define the adjustment.
These measures will be in place from this Friday and will run for “the next 15 days”. Nevertheless, the prime minister has opened the door to a possible extension of the measures if the epidemiological situation in the country requires it.
