The number of injuries among students in…

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40161. Many students contracted coronavirus in primary and secondary schools between November 22 and December 5. Double what it was two weeks ago, when there were 21,162 students who tested positive. “The increase is the strongest in primary schools, because we have the largest group of unvaccinated children there,” said the Cabinet Secretary of Flemish Education Minister Ben Wittes (N-VA).

The number of students in quarantine is also increasing. From 33,603 students between November 8 and 21 to 71,817 students. That’s nearly 6 percent of all students. “Those numbers are likely to increase,” says Michael Devolder, a spokesperson for Wits. After all, the threshold for sending students home has been lowered. “If two children are infected, the whole class must be isolated. Before that it was three.”

For teachers, the numbers go up by a quarter. The number of positive employees increases from 6,168 to 8,183. The bright spot is that in the week of November 29 to December 5, the stats will again drop slightly, with 19,721 students infected, compared to 20,440 in the previous week. But the relaxation of a mouth mask commitment is not an option. Although Waits is a “wonderful lover” of her.

And for those who have hope: The Christmas holiday still begins on December 17th. “And whether that hope exists,” Devolder concludes. “Once we publish positive numbers, we get emails from parents asking if schools can’t stay open for an extra week. Every straw is grabbed. That’s understandable.”