Campania Municipalities Advocate for Delayed School Reopening Amidst COVID Surge

The Campania regional chapter of the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) is urging a postponement of the school reopening following the Christmas break, echoing the concerns voiced by regional president Vincenzo De Luca. Citing alarmingly high infection rates, ANCI Campania president Carlo Marino issued a statement calling for a delay to safeguard students, teachers, and support staff. The association’s plea, which reflects numerous appeals from school principals and teacher unions, aims to mitigate the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 surge. Marino emphasized the need for revised protocols for classroom outbreaks and distance learning to avoid uncontrolled spread and organizational chaos within schools. He further requested that the regional government advocate to the national government and the national Technical Scientific Committee (CTS) on behalf of Campania’s municipalities, preventing the burden of managing the crisis from falling solely on local administrations and school personnel. President De Luca previously criticized the national government for its perceived inaction and indecisiveness, indicating a possible unilateral regional intervention if necessary to prioritize public health. The situation remains fluid, with decisions regarding the January 10th reopening and associated contingency plans expected imminently. Proposals under consideration include differentiated quarantine measures based on age: a seven-day quarantine for kindergartens after a single positive case; the same for elementary and middle schools (grades 1-3) after two positive cases; and a seven-day quarantine for upper middle and high school students after three positive cases. The suspension of physical education, singing, and wind instrument classes is also being assessed.