Pupils are back at school in Europe as coronavirus cases pass four million
- Russia accounts for almost a quarter of the millions of infections
- Children have been returning to school, with many being required to wear face coverings
Millions of mask-wearing European children returned to school on Tuesday with governments determined to get pupils back in class despite still-rising coronavirus infections which surged over four million across the continent for the first time.
Schools reopened in Russia, Ukraine, Belgium and France, where teachers and children aged 11 and older were obliged to wear face coverings, echoing regulations in place across the continent.
Lockdowns imposed from March meant many children have missed months of education, as well as time with their friends.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time!” 12-year-old Chahda told AFP excitedly as she arrived with her friend at school in the southern French city of Marseille.
However, the largest school district in the United States – New York City – announced a delay to in-person classes at public institutions until September 21, after reaching a deal with a prominent teachers’ union that had threatened a strike over health concerns it felt had gone unaddressed.