STA, 3 March 2021 - All secondary school students who have been learning remotely will return to in-person teaching on Monday, while primary school students in grades six to nine will have to wear masks at all time in class, the government decided as it conducted its weekly review of coronavirus restrictions.
The change for secondary school students comes after schools reopened in mid-February, but only final-year secondary students returned to classrooms. They were given priority because they have to prepare for school-leaving exams.
Secondary school students have been pushing for a return to classrooms and, despite the ban on gatherings of over 10 people, in early February they staged rallies to demand schools reopen.
In primary schools all students returned to class. They have to wear face masks while mixing in common areas but so far they have not had to wear masks in class. Students in grades from six to nine will now have to wear masks at all times.
The move was proposed by the Health Ministry's Covid-19 advisory group.
Teachers have to wear masks at all times and they must get tested for coronavirus once a week, a requirement that remains unchanged.
All other restrictions remain in place as well, including the 9pm-6am curfew, restrictions on gatherings, and the closure of bars and hospitality establishments.
With the exception of the coastal Obalno-Kraška region, Slovenia is currently in the orange tier of restrictions. New cases and hospital numbers had been falling steadily, but cases in particular have plateaued and even increased in some parts of the country.
