MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Covid-19: Facemasks mandatory again at Bolivian schools

Facemasks will be mandatory for pupils, teachers, and school staff when classes resume next week

Bolivian health authorities will be requiring school pupils to wear facemasks upon returning to classes next week as part of a set of preventive measures taken given an increase in the number of cases of Covid-19, Ministers María Renée Castro (Health) and Édgar Pary (Education) announced in La Paz.

In the third week of January, there were 5,875 cases of Covid-19, 795 fewer infections than in the same period last year when 6,670 cases were recorded. Bolivia has faced six waves of the malady since March 2020 and declared the end of the sanitary emergency in August last year.

Castro explained that biosecurity measures will be applied every time “an outbreak of respiratory infections” occurs in the country, regardless of whether it is Covid-19.

In the Bolivian Department of Cochabamba, Education Director Edgar Veizaga insisted that masks will be mandatory but ruled out any disciplinary measures against students not wearing them. “The use of the mask has to be an act of conscience from the family. The protocols that we already knew must be complied with. We do not want more cases,” he said.

He also pointed out that the mask rule will also apply to teachers and school staff. The measure will be in force as long as Covid's evolution calls for it. Veizaga also requested local authorities to supply biosecurity materials and drinking water.

The mandatory use of masks comes after children were hospitalized due to complications related to the coronavirus in addition to an increase in cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), mainly in children under five years of age.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the JN 1 subvariant of Covid-19 has been reported worldwide in 71 countries, including Bolivia. In Latin America, it has been detected in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Castro said earlier this month that Santa Cruz concentrated the majority of positive cases nationwide.