School begins in Bolivia amid coronavirus spike

Bolivia began the 2021 school year Monday amid a spike in coronavirus infections.

President Luis Arce inaugurated the school year in a rural school facility in the south of the country, where students attended wearing masks and sat down respecting social distancing.

The government announced classes would be face-to-face, blended or virtual, depending on the epidemiological situation in each region.

Arce said face-to-face classes will return as the levels of risk of contagion of coronavirus decrease.

"It's the best way to transmit knowledge," he said.

In August, the then interim president Jeanine Áñez closed the school year because the State couldn't guarantee access to virtual education, especially in rural areas.

The technological situation has not improved but the Arce administration announced that classes will be taught on television, radio and a free digital platform.

Coronavirus infections continue to rise across the Andean Country. The Ministry of Health reported that in January there were more than 60 deaths per day.

To date, Bolivia reported 218,299 COVID-19 cases and 10,439 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University.

(Image Credit: AP)