Loosen Lockdown Policy, Germany Reopens Limited Schools

German illustration (Photo by Ansgar Scheffold on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Various countries in the world initially chose regional restrictions or lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19. But now, they are starting to loosen this policy along with the decline in the number of corona positive patients.

One of the countries that has begun to loosen its lockdown policy is Germany. German government authorities are starting to reopen schools so that students in Germany can return to class to take final exams on Monday, May 4.

The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, approved the plan to reopen schools. Even though it is reopened, students must still apply physical distancing rules during class teaching and learning activities.

The principal of Steglitz Berlin school, Antje Luekemann, appreciated the government's move by re-opening the school year. He revealed that students will also be required to wear masks and use hand sanitizers, before and after activities in class.

"The longer the uncertainty lasts, the more difficult the case will keep them motivated, and that is why I believe it is very important for us to welcome the rules for starting the exam," said Luekemann.

Even though the school year will reopen, not a few parents of students are worried about the condition of their children when they have to go to school in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school also will not force students to attend class or take final exams.

"Of course there is a concern, the more students there are in the building, the more complicated it is to keep them 100 percent awake," he added.

It is planned that the 16 states in Germany will begin to reopen the school year and allow students to come to school. Classes will be divided into several age categories with a predetermined schedule to keep students' distance (physical distancing) in the class.

In line with the easing of the lockdown, the German authorities also believe physical distancing is one way to slow down the transmission of COVID-19. Apart from requiring most of its citizens to continue to carry out independent isolation.

Not only schools, but also small shops in most of Germany started operating again. Even so, regarding larger shops, restaurants, and cinemas have not received permission to reopen.

Indeed, Germany is still in the ranking, the country with the highest number of positive COVID-19 patients in the world. The United States, Spain, Italy and France are now ranked first. Compared to these four countries, Germany has a relatively low mortality rate thanks to intensive initial testing of its citizens.