Education Ministry Distributes 50m Face Masks

Oct 17 , 2020

The Ministry of Education has started distributing 50 million face masks to public schools across the country. The reopening of schools comes after a closure of nearly seven months due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) following a recommendation by the Health Ministry. The face masks will be allotted to students at 46,000 primary and secondary schools. About half a million face masks will also be distributed to teachers. A steering committee led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) is handling the reopening, drafting documents such as the Safe School Operation Guideline and an Infrastructure Analysis Strategy. The preparation for reopening will also include allocation of infrared thermometers to schools in regional states. There are estimated to be over 3,000 private and close to 50,000 public schools in the country, according to data from the Ministry of Education.