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The Russian navy conducted major war games near Alaska involving dozens of ships and aircraft, the military said Friday, the biggest such drills in the area since Soviet times.  
 
Russia’s navy chief, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, said that more than 50 warships and about 40 aircraft were taking part in the exercise in the Bering Sea, which involved multiple practice missile launches.  
 
“We are holding such massive drills there for the first time ever,” Yevmenov said in a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry.
 
It wasn’t immediately clear when the exercises began or if they had finished.
 
Yevmenov emphasized that the war games are part of Russia’s efforts to boost its presence in the Arctic region and protect its resources.
 
“We are building up our forces to ensure the economic development of the region,” he said. “We are getting used to the Arctic spaces.”
 
The Russian military has rebuilt and expanded numerous facilities across the polar region in recent years, revamping runways and deploying additional air defense assets.
 
Russia has prioritized boosting its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to one-quarter of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and gas. Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion.
 
Russia’s Pacific Fleet, whose assets were taking part in the maneuvers, said the Omsk nuclear submarine and the Varyag missile cruiser launched cruise missiles at a practice target in the Bering Sea as part of the exercise.
 
The maneuvers also saw Onyx cruise missiles being fired at a practice target in the Gulf of Anadyr from the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula, it added.
 
As the exercise was ongoing, U.S. military spotted a Russian submarine surfacing near Alaska on Thursday. U.S. Northern Command spokesman Bill Lewis noted that the Russian military exercise is taking place in international waters, well outside U.S. territory.
 
Lewis said the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command were closely monitoring the submarine. He added that they haven’t received any requests for assistance from the Russian navy but stand ready to assist those in distress.
 
Russian state RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russia’s Pacific Fleet sources as saying that the surfacing of the Omsk nuclear submarine was routine.
 
It cited former Russian navy’s chief of staff, retired Adm. Viktor Kravchenko, as saying that by having the submarine surface in the area the navy may have wanted to send a deliberate signal.
 
“It’s a signal that we aren’t asleep and we are wherever we want,” RIA Novosti quoted Kravchenko as saying.
 
The presence of Russian military assets in the area caused a stir for U.S. commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea on Wednesday.
 
“We were notified by multiple fishing vessels that were operating out the Bering Sea that they had come across these vessels and were concerned,” U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Kip Wadlow said Thursday.
 
The Coast Guard contacted the Alaskan Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which confirmed the ships were there as part of a pre-planned Russian military exercise that was known to some U.S. military officials, he said.
 
The Russian military has expanded the number and the scope of its war games in recent years as Russia-West relations have sunk to their lowest level since the Cold War after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, and other crises.
 
  
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Maris Selga has served as Latvia’s ambassador to the United States since September 2019.He began his diplomatic career in 1994. Prior to Washington, Selga served in various diplomatic posts, including in Denmark and Egypt, most recently as Latvia’s top diplomat stationed in the People’s Republic of China.He discussed the situation in Belarus in a recent written interview with VOA.VOA: How do Latvians feel about what’s happening in Belarus?Selga: Latvians are deeply concerned about the situation in Belarus. The government has called for a peaceful and lawful resolution of the current crisis while emphasizing that the use of force against peaceful protesters is unacceptable. The leadership of Latvia and members of Saeima (parliament) have joined their counterparts in other European countries to call for a peaceful resolution and condemn violence against peaceful demonstrators. Additionally, the government has agreed to strengthen Belarusian civil society by allocating 150,000 euros ($174,000) to it.The “Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation” along with the civil society organization “MARTA Center” in cooperation with NGOs working in Belarus, will provide legal, psychological [counseling], other medical and practical assistance to victims of human rights abuse that occurred after the August 9 election, as well as assist with documenting the abuse. Additionally, “MARTA Center” will provide qualification-enhancing training to Belarusian psychologists. Meanwhile the “Baltic Centre for Media Excellence” will implement projects that support independent media in Belarus.Latvian society has been following the crisis closely. Many have expressed support for the people of Belarus, including by organizing various peaceful protests.Belarus is and will remain an important neighbor and Latvia will continue to maintain friendly neighborly relations with the people of Belarus.VOA: Is Belarus facing an entirely different set of challenges than Latvia due to its geographic position?Selga: It is difficult to speculate about the role of our geographic position. Achieving independence was not easy and many Latvian’s sacrificed their lives for Latvia to be the free and democratic country it is today.Watching the situation unfold in Belarus, Latvians can once again feel reassured and grateful to live in a free and democratic country, where the elections are fair and free. This unfortunate crisis highlights the importance of human rights, including the freedom of expression, and the rule of law. It is a reminder to all Latvians about how fortunate we are to not have to face the challenges Belarusian society is currently dealing with.VOA: Why does Belarus matter?Selga: Like all people, the people of Belarus deserve to live in a democratic country, with fair elections, where human rights are respected. It is vital to support people striving for democracy and condemn the use of force and violence against peaceful demonstrators.A positive development of relations between the EU and Belarus is only possible through observing fundamental democratic rights and freedoms. Latvia, being a neighbor to Belarus, is interested in such a development.VOA: What would it take for Belarus to join the “western,” democratic camp – what will it take for the “Baltic Way” to work its miracles in Belarus?Selga: It’s important to note that the tools to achieve such a “miracle” are already available to Belarus. International norms and regulations serve as an important guide for such processes to take place. For example, Belarus is a member of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe], and the OSCE’s principles, if implemented, provide support for democratization. Also, the OSCE provides election observation, which Belarus should utilize in the current situation.Right now, it is vital that the Belarusian Government and law enforcement authorities respect civil liberties of Belarusian people and their right to freely express their political opinion. The use of force against peaceful protesters is unacceptable.The elections of 9 August 2020 were neither free nor fair. To resolve the situation, new presidential elections should be held, organized by a new Belarusian election commission and in the presence of international observers.VOA: What prevented Belarus from joining the democratic camp at the time Latvia did?Selga: This is a difficult question that is better posed to Belarus. Of course, we wish that Belarus would have followed Latvia down the road to democracy. There are some historical and cultural differences between our countries that may have played a role. Latvia was a free and democratic country from its conception in 1918 and, unlike Belarus, had the fortune to remain free and independent for more than twenty years. Latvia also continued to exist de jure throughout the Soviet occupation. Once independence was restored, Latvia reinstated its constitution of 1922, which upheld the values of Western democracy and the rule of law. Further, throughout history in terms of culture and cooperation, Latvians have been more aligned with Europe than with Russia. Additionally, soon after independence was restored, Latvia strived to join the European Union and NATO, which further motivated society and government to fully implement the values of democracy and human rights.VOA: What are the potential scenarios out of the current situation? The best, the worst, the so-so? And what does each scenario/potential outcome mean for Latvia?Selga: I would like to focus on the best scenario and not speculate on other outcomes – right now, we wish to see a new presidential election in Belarus, organized by a new Belarusian election commission and in the presence of international observers.VOA: What is the Ambassador’s relationship with his counterparts from Belarus and Russia like, compared to ambassadors from other Baltic and European countries?Selga: As an ambassador, I try to keep an open dialogue with all of my colleagues. Of course, it is very easy to work with colleagues who share the same priorities and have many of the same positions. In the case of the European Union, we prioritize having unified positions whenever possible and we share the same fundamental values, most of which are also enshrined in our respective national legislation. With both my Belarusian and Russian colleagues, I aim to keep an open dialogue and am always open to meet and discuss matters. I make it clear when our views and values don’t align, but I am always open to having conversations, even if they are difficult.VOA: How influential are EU sanctions?Selga: The targeted individual sanctions are against Belarusian officials responsible for falsifying presidential elections in Belarus and exerting excessive force against peaceful protesters in the streets of Belarusian cities.It is important to hold these officials responsible and sanctions are a tool through which we can do so.It is too early to judge how influential they will be, but I am hopeful they will motivate these and other officials to uphold human rights and the principles of democracy.VOA: What more can the EU and the US do?Selga: It is important that we continue to follow [monitor] the crisis, pressure the authorities to uphold human rights, including through the use of targeted sanctions, and express support to the people of Belarus as they strive towards freedom and democracy. Further, it is vital to expand support to civil society in Belarus.VOA: Can the Ambassador share with us where he was at the time of the Baltic Way? How did events then influence the Ambassador’s life and career choices? Is the Baltic Way still much talked about in Latvia, say in textbooks/at schools, also by parents to their kids?Selga: The time of the Baltic Way and the entire independence movement in Latvia laid the cornerstone for the country we have today. My family, friends and I were involved, but so was the majority of Latvian society.The movement was fueled by Latvians from all regions of Latvia, everyone came together for the same goal – a free and independent Latvia. Latvians continue to remember this and learn about it from family and in school.We are also grateful to the efforts of our Latvian diaspora abroad who advocated for Latvia’s independence all throughout the Soviet occupation and helped fuel the independence movement from abroad.In the United States, the Sumner Welles declaration of 1940, which condemned the forced annexation and occupation of the Baltics, was especially monumental in acknowledging the Soviet Union’s forced incorporation of the Baltic States and their legitimate strive for independence.Undoubtedly, if not for the independence movement as a whole, not only would I not be an ambassador, there perhaps would be no Latvia and no Latvian ambassadors. We all serve our country, whether as ambassadors or through other vocations. Above all, I am grateful that I can serve an independent and free Latvia.
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The people in Latvia have been closely following the crisis in Belarus, their neighboring country to the southeast, and “are deeply concerned about the situation,” Maris Selga, Latvia’s ambassador to the United States, said in an Maris Selga has served as Latvia’s ambassador to the United States since September 2019. (Photo courtesy Latvia Embassy)Latvia, along with its Baltic Sea neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, regained its independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the memory of that time remains strong in families and in schools.“The time of the Baltic Way and the entire independence movement in Latvia laid the cornerstone for the country we have today,” Selga said. The Baltic Way refers to the peaceful united front put up by the people of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to successfully demand a restoration of their sovereignty.Recalling that critical time, Selga said, “Everyone came together for the same goal — a free and independent Latvia.”He added that the support of the international community — including support from the overseas Latvian community — was also critical to his nation’s regaining its freedom.“We are also grateful for the efforts of our Latvian diaspora abroad who advocated for Latvia’s independence all throughout the Soviet occupation and helped fuel the independence movement from abroad.”One action taken by the American government in 1940 stood out, Selga said. “The Sumner Welles Declaration of 1940, which condemned the forced annexation and occupation of the Baltics, was monumental.”The declaration, initially a one-page press statement issued by then-Acting Secretary of State Benjamin Sumner Welles, rejected the legitimacy of the Soviet Union’s annexation of the three Baltic states and laid a foundation of moral support for the Latvians and their neighbors.The nation’s appreciation was formalized in 2012 when the street that runs by the American embassy in Latvia’s capital city was named after Sumner Welles.“Watching the situation unfold in Belarus, Latvians can once again feel reassured and grateful to be living in a free and democratic country,” Selga said, adding that the unrest now unfolding in Belarus “highlights the importance of human rights, including the freedom of expression, and the rule of law.”Selga says his country’s leadership and members of its parliament, known as the Saeima, have joined their counterparts in other European countries to call for a peaceful resolution of the Belarus protests and to condemn violence against peaceful demonstrators. Many citizens have expressed support for the people of Belarus, including by organizing various peaceful protests.Latvia has also gathered and allocated resources to help the people of Belarus.Expanding support to civil society in Belarus “is vital,” the ambassador said. To that end, Latvia has put aside more than $175,000 for legal, medical, counseling and other practical assistance to “victims of human rights abuse that occurred after the August 9 election, as well as assisting with documenting the abuse.”Belarus “is and will remain an important neighbor” and Latvia will continue to maintain friendly neighborly relations with the people of Belarus, Selga said.“If not for the independence movement as a whole, not only would I not be an ambassador, there perhaps would be no Latvia and no Latvian ambassadors” anywhere, he reckoned.“We all serve our country, whether as ambassadors or through other vocations. Above all, I am grateful that I can serve an independent and free Latvia.”Selga was appointed Latvia’s ambassador to the United States in August 2019. He began his diplomatic career in 1994. Previously, Selga served in various diplomatic posts, including in Denmark and Egypt, most recently as Latvia’s top diplomat stationed in the People’s Republic of China. 
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Grainy surveillance video shows a person walking toward a car belonging to Ukrainian investigative news team Schemes moments before the vehicle ignites.Police on Wednesday arrested two suspects in connection with the August 17 fire in Brovary, a city near the capital, Kyiv, and continue to investigate, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov FILE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy IS pictured during a news conference in Kyiv.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on law enforcement to find the attackers quickly. He added that journalists, including his critics, should be protected.An Interior Ministry spokesperson told RFE/RL’s Radio Svoboda that police were looking for at least two other suspects in connection with the arson.In the alleged wiretap incident, police carried out a basic search but left without securing the scene, Natalie Sedletska, editor in chief of Schemes, said in a Facebook post.The post added that to prevent evidence from being damaged or tampered with, members of the news team kept vigil until police could return. Ukraine’s national police did not reply to VOA’s email requesting updates in the two investigations.Schemes showed video of the holes to independent experts who agreed they were evidence of an attempt to install a recording device. The experts differed on whether the device had been installed and later removed, or whether these marks were signs of preparation.In a statement, RFE/RL’s acting president, Daisy Sindelar, said she was distressed by the attacks.“We are relieved that no one was hurt but concerned that this incident appears aimed at intimidating RFE/RL’s reporters and contributing to a threatening environment for journalists across Ukraine,” Sindelar said, and she called for a speedy investigation.Other incidentsSchemes journalists have been targeted previously. They have been attacked, harassed and followed, and they have had personal information shared online.Local and international journalism rights groups said they thought the latest attack was an attempt to silence investigative outlets.Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of journalists, said investigative journalists are at risk of physical attack and intimidation through legal pressure.“The attacks and surveillance witnessed by Schemes are reflective of a wider environment in which journalists are not sufficiently protected,” he said.Describing the incidents as “blatant acts of intimidation” aimed at watchdog journalism, Griffen told VOA via email, “Unfortunately, all too often these kinds of attacks go unpunished in Ukraine, resulting in a lingering climate of impunity for attacks on the press.”The Ukrainian journalism coalition, Media for Conscious Choice, also condemned the attack in a statement, saying it was “unacceptable to monitor and interrogate journalists,” especially those reporting on high-level government corruption.Ukraine Media Leaders Sound Alarm on Oligarchical Control at Virtual VOA Town HallJournalists, media experts say Kyiv’s improved global media ratings don’t tell whole storyAttacks and pressure on journalists, particularly those investigating endemic corruption in Ukraine, is common, U.S. based research group Freedom House said. The nonprofit, which ranks Ukraine only “partly free” on its Freedom in the World Index, noted a failure by police to investigate and bring to justice those who attack or kill reporters.A fatal attack on an investigative journalist in the city of Cherkasy last year remains unsolved. Vadym Komarov, a reporter for a local publication, died from head injuries a few weeks after being found unconscious on a street. He was attacked the day after announcing on social media that he planned to publish an article on local graft, IPI reported.The press freedom group said impunity in these cases sends a signal to attackers that they will get away with their actions, which further endangers reporter safety.
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European governments are preparing to reopen schools in the coming days for the new academic year, as health experts say it’s vital for children to resume education. Most students have not attended school for six months after lockdowns were imposed in March to contain the coronavirus pandemic. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, some teachers unions have voiced concerns for the safety of staff as infection rates continue to rise on the continent.
 
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has prepared a contingent of law enforcement officers that could be sent to Belarus “if necessary” to restore order in the event of “looting” amid continuing postelection protests.Putin made the comments in a surprise interview aired on the state channel Rossia on August 27.”Russian forces won’t be used unless extremist elements in Belarus cross the line and begin acts of looting,” Putin said.The Russian president also said that he believed “Belarusian law enforcement agencies are demonstrating fairly reserved behavior, no matter what.”Putin’s comments came as Belarusian authorities continue to crack down on demonstrations against the August 9 presidential election won by longtime authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.Protesters, who believe the election was rigged, have faced a brutal police crackdown, with widespread evidence of beatings and torture in police custody. Leading opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya says at least six people have been killed in the crackdown and dozens of protesters have gone missing after being detained by authorities.As the protests entered their 19th day, Belarusian prosecutors continued to question leading opposition figures as part of what Minsk calls a “criminal investigation” into the opposition’s recently formed Coordination Council.Maryya Kalesnikava, a senior member of exiled opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya’s Coordination Council, was summoned to the headquarters of the Belarusian Investigative Committee for questioning on August 27.The head of the Belarusian Constitutional Court has declared that the Coordination Council is “unconstitutional,” and two other key members of the council’s presidium have been jailed on charges of organizing unauthorized demonstrations against Lukashenko.Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich, one of dozens of public figures who has joined the Coordination Council, was questioned by the Investigative Committee on August 26.NATO Chief Calls on Belarus President to ‘Respect Fundamental Rights’Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says alliance is ‘watching developments in Belarus closely’ NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Berlin after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 27 that Lukashenko “must demonstrate full respect” for the fundamental rights of the Belarusian people, “including freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest.”Stoltenberg also refuted Lukashenko’s claim that NATO forces were being deployed on the borders of Belarus, saying it would be “unjustified” to use the NATO alliance as an excuse for further crackdowns.”NATO has no military buildup in the region so any attempt to use that an excuse to crack down on peaceful protesters is absolutely unjustified,” Stoltenberg said, adding that it was up to the people of Belarus to decide their own future.European Union foreign ministers, meanwhile, are gathering in Berlin on August 27 to discuss expected sanctions against as many as 20 Belarusian officials accused of falsifying the election results or being involved in violent crackdowns against protesters.German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has criticized Belarusian authorities for “severe human rights violations and violations of basic democratic principles,” saying the violations would “not go unanswered.”Maas said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that members of the Coordination Council, formed last week with the stated aim of negotiating a transfer of power with Lukashenko’s government, were being “imprisoned, interrogated, and intimidated.”Meanwhile, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, said Belarusian police and security officers carried out “inappropriate and unlawful” actions against demonstrators at a church that faces Independence Square in Minsk on August 26.Kondrusiewicz on August 27 called for an investigation into the activities of police, saying their conduct “does not help ease tensions” in Belarus at a time when the Catholic Church is calling for “reconciliation and dialogue” to end the “social and political conflict, which has no precedents in our country.”Several dozen protesters had found refuge in the church on August 26, and police blocked its doors to keep them inside for about 40 minutes while authorities dispersed a crowd of more than 1,000 demonstrators on the nearby square and arrested about 50 protesters.It was the 18th day of protests challenging the official results of the election.People waved historic Belarusian red-and-white flags — which have become a symbol of the opposition — and chanted “Leave!” as they called for Lukashenko’s resignation and demanded new elections be carried out in a free-and-fair manner.At least three people also were detained at a separate protest in Brest on August 26, RFE/RL’s Belarus Service reported.Vyasna activist Valyantsin Stefanovich called the detentions an act of intimidation. He said authorities appear to have “stopped beatings” for now, “but fear and threats remain their main weapon.”The United States and the European Union have criticized the Belarusian vote as neither free nor fair and urged Lukashenko’s government to engage in a dialogue with the opposition. 
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the alliance is “watching developments in Belarus closely,” and that NATO supports “a sovereign and independent Belarus.” Stoltenberg made the comments to reporters after meeting in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The two leaders met to discuss pressing European diplomatic issues ahead of meetings with European Union defense ministers in Berlin.
 
In their bilateral talks, the two leaders also discussed the territorial dispute between Greece and Turkey, and the situation in Afghanistan.
 
Additionally, Stoltenberg mentioned the U.S. decision to pull troops out of Germany earlier this year and put additional personnel in Poland. The NATO chief said, “It is important that allies continue to consult closely because the U.S. presence in Europe is important both for the security of Europe and for the security of the United States.”
 
Ahead of the meeting with EU defense ministers, Stoltenberg added his voice to growing calls for a “transparent” investigation into the case of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Stoltenberg said there was “no reason to doubt” German doctors’ conclusions that the Kremlin critic was poisoned.  
 
Navalny’s supporters say he was poisoned by a cup of tea at a Siberian airport. Navalny later became ill on a flight to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing in the Siberian city of Omsk, where he was hospitalized before he was airlifted to Germany for treatment last Saturday.
 
Russia has not opened an investigation into the incident and a Kremlin spokesman said there was “no pretext” to do so. The EU leaders are meeting in Berlin because Germany currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union Council.
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A mother and her three children scanned the school supplies in a Paris supermarket, plucking out multicolored fountain pens, crisp notebooks – and plenty of masks. Despite resurgent coronavirus infections, similar scenes are unfolding across Europe as a new school year dawns.
Virus or no virus, European authorities are determined to put children back into classrooms, to narrow the learning gaps between haves and have-nots that deepened during lockdowns – and to get their parents back to work.
Facing a jump in virus cases, authorities in France, Britain, Spain and elsewhere are imposing mask rules, hiring extra teachers and building new desks en masse.
While the U.S. back-to-school saga has been politicized and chaotic, with a hodgepodge of fast-changing rules and backlash against President Donald Trump’s insistence on reopening, European governments have faced less of an uproar.
And even though the virus has invaded classrooms in recent days from Berlin to Seoul, and some teachers and parents warn that their schools aren’t ready, European leaders from the political left, right and center are sending an unusually consistent message: Even in a pandemic, children are better off in class.
France’s prime minister promised Wednesday to “do everything” to get people back to school and work. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called reopening schools a “moral duty,” and his government even threatened to fine parents who keep kids at home. Italy’s health minister abruptly shut down discos this month with one goal in mind — “to reopen schools in September in complete safety.”
As both a parent and a teacher, Mathieu Maillard has plenty to worry about before French schools reopen Tuesday. The number of virus infections per 100,000 people has grown five-fold in France in the last month.
How will his 5-year-old daughter keep a safe distance from preschool friends she’s so excited to see for the first time in six months? How will he gain the trust of his high school students, from one of Marseille’s roughest neighborhoods, if he has to police their mask use?
But overall, Maillard thinks it’s time to go back. School “has to start up again at some point,” he says. “The health risk exists, but the risk of not putting children in school is even bigger.”
During lockdown, he said, some students never joined his online French literature classes. Some had no place to work, or no computers, just telephones they used to send blurry photos of handwritten work.
“Our students really, really need school,” he said. For some of those growing up in an environment plagued with violence and drugs, school “is a place where they can breathe.”
Unlike the U.S., many European schools reopened at the end of the last term, offering lessons for the fall.
Among measures in place: hand-washing stations, one-way corridors, staggered starts and lunch times. Some regions are giving out free laptops, in case of new lockdowns. Many countries require masks in school, but rules vary on where to wear them and from what age.
In southeast London, father of three Mark Davis is looking forward to schools reopening in early September but is vexed about what will happen if there’s a new virus wave.
“Everyone is gunning for this (return to school), but it’s no good just hoping for the best,” he said. “Plans need to be put in place.”
So far the government says schools will only close as a last resort. But parents say the government’s message hasn’t been clear.
Most of the U.K.’s 11 million students haven’t seen a classroom since March, and reopening schools tops the political agenda. Britain has 41,515 virus-related deaths, the highest confirmed toll in Europe, and Johnson’s government has been strongly criticized for its handling of the pandemic.
Some European schools are planning or considering a hybrid academic year, with some physical classes and some online. But most are aiming for full in-person classes.
That’s in line with guidance by global organizations like UNICEF, which said Thursday that at least a third of the world’s schoolchildren were unable to access remote learning during lockdowns. It warned that “the repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades.”
Medical experts say the risk of opening schools depends on how widespread COVID-19 infections are in the community and what safety measures are taken.
Evidence suggests young children don’t spread the disease very easily, while kids aged 10 and up may transmit as easily as adults. But experts say more conclusive proof is needed. And even though children appear less likely to get infected than adults, severe cases and deaths have occurred.
Amid an unexpected new wave of infections in hard-hit Spain, officials are scrambling to adapt plans to reopen schools Sept. 4.
They include hiring 11,000 additional teachers, building makeshift classrooms in schoolyards to gain space, and creating “bubbles” of students who are allowed to mix with each other but not with outsiders.
But teachers’ unions decry funding shortages and have called for strikes starting next week.
Italy, Europe’s first virus hot spot, is hiring 40,000 more temporary teachers and ordering extra desks, but some won’t be ready until October. And many parents and teachers remain in the dark about exactly how it will work when most schools reopen Sept. 14. They notably wonder how overcrowded, run-down schools can ensure one-meter (three-foot) distances and smaller class sizes.
”They are in over their heads,” said Cristina Tedesco, a parent representative for a high school class in Verona province.
Germany may serve as a cautionary tale, or an example, for its neighbors.
At least 41 of Berlin’s 825 schools reported virus cases as classes resumed this month, and thousands of students have been quarantined around the country. But Germany is determined not to close schools anew, so they’re sending individual students or classes into quarantine instead.
Schools remained shut in most of Africa, Latin America and in some of the world’s most populated nations including India and Bangladesh. In the U.S., some school districts are planning a mix of in-person and online learning to help maintain social distancing. Other districts are starting classes online only.
Denmark this week saw an unusual endorsement for reopening schools. Its second-largest city, Aarhus, sent all high school students home after a spike in virus cases, but the teens pushed back, saying they don’t learn as much online.
Protesting Monday, they held signs reading: “I just want to go to school.”
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