Face-to-face teaching at Bavarian schools will remain in place, but in view of the rapidly increasing omicron infections, especially among children, the state government is making an adjustment. In the event of larger outbreaks, school principals will be able to send entire classes to distance learning, initially for five days. They can act independently and do not have to wait for instructions from the health department in such cases.
This was announced by Minister of Education Michael Piazolo (free voters) on Tuesday after the cabinet and after a video exchange with school practitioners. When the class is sent home, it should not depend exactly on the number of infected students. Piazolo said that “about 50 percent” had a “serious” accumulation” of cases. A formal quarantine order would, however, be a formal quarantine order for headteachers not.
Pupils who test positive must continue to be isolated as before; the usual rules for contact persons also remain. According to Piazolo, 94 percent of the students are currently in regular classes. The “top priority” remains face-to-face teaching, the “close-meshed safety net” with testing and ventilation works.
With the adjustment, the ministry is responding to recent criticism from the education scene, according to which sticking to face-to-face classes, at least in general, is no longer appropriate. Many infections and waiting for orders from the health authorities often led to chaos. For example, Simone Fleischmann, President of the Bavarian Teachers’ Association, also demanded “honesty – is contamination wanted?”
According to Klaus Holetschek, it is advisable “to be ready to brake at all times”
“The Omikron wave continues to roll,” said Head of State Florian Herrmann after the cabinet, on behalf of Prime Minister Markus Söder (both CSU). Despite the increasing seven-day incidence – on Tuesday to 1421 – he recognizes the beginnings of slower dynamics in the past few days and a “decoupling” of infections and clinical burden.
The number of corona patients is increasing, but only in normal wards. It should be noted here, however, that more and more patients are admitted for other reasons and only then test positive; there is no system for recording this distinction.
Hospitalization remains below the amber alert level of the hospital traffic light, which was originally introduced as a new tool last summer; the red warning level of intensive care (600 cases in absolute numbers) is not reached either, there are currently 333 in Bavaria, and the trend is even falling.
This strengthens the assessment “that the logic in dealing with Omikron is and must be different than in dealing with Delta,” said Herrmann. On Tuesday, the cabinet decided neither to tighten the measures nor to relax them, and they continue to drive “on sight”. The Prime Minister’s dictum counts: “Caution and prudence, coupled with a sense of proportion.”
In an interview at the weekend, Söder demanded planning for the time after the peak of the wave and giving back freedom in the future, for example in gastronomy and possibly from mid-February.
Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) said on Tuesday that it was advisable “to be ready to brake at any time”, but of course one had to “talk about perspectives in such a situation”. The decisive factor is the look at the clinics, Herrmann added, the risk of overload is “the common thread” in two years of pandemic policy. However, easing was not an issue in the cabinet.