Argentina reopens schools in capital despite virus peak

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina reopened Monday following a court order that annulled a federal decision of maintaining online classes for two more weeks.

The announcement has been made by Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta late Sunday. Rodriguez said the city will not adhere to the decree of President Alberto Fernandez and they will perform in-person classes as usual on Monday.

His decision was based on a judge ruling a day earlier that sided with parents and some teacher groups in the city about face-to-face classes.

Since the beginning of April, coronavirus cases in Argentina skyrocketed as the country saw its peak point on Friday with nearly 29,500 cases, according to a running tally of the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The South American nation has recorded about 2.7 million cases and more than 59,200 deaths, while over 2.3 million have recovered from the disease so far.

Fernandez issued an emergency decree last week containing a set of measures to slow the spread of the pandemic, including the suspension of face-to-face classes until April 30 throughout the Metropolitan Area of ​​Buenos Aires.