Some parents have had to be called in to pick up their children from school after it emerged some students who should be in quarantine were attending class anyway. 

Workers in the public sectors, including educators, who visited China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Iran and the north of Italy above Tuscany have been asked to self-quarantine as part of efforts to keep the coronavirus at bay. Parents have also been asked to also quarantine children who have been to such places.

While the health authorities have said there was no need to need for extreme measures like avoiding crowds or not sending children to school as Malta had yet to report its first COVID-19 case, those who travelled to affected countries have been urged to self-quarantine and stay home from work or school. 

Despite this, teachers were having to call in parents of students who had recently returned from Italy or one of the other affected countries, because they had ignored the advice of the health authorities.

Teachers’ union head Marco Bonnici told Times of Malta that teachers were reporting finding out about students having travelled to these countries through others. 

“The children talk and with social media today, they know where their friends have been. The schools are then calling the parents and asking them to pick up their children immediately,” Mr Bonnici said.

The health authorities on Thursday confirmed they only follow up on those on "official" quarantine and not on those who are on the so-called self-quarantine. 

Reports that some teachers have also been attending school while they should be on self-quarantine have also reached Times of Malta.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Maltese Association of Parents of State Schools Students (MAPSSS) appealed to parents, teachers and school management teams to “strictly observe” the directives issued by the authorities.

“Just like in any other situation, parents are to keep children who are sick at home. On the other hand, schools are to ensure that there is constant water supply and soap in every sanitary facility in order to prevent the spread of any kind of infection,” the association said. 

On Thursday, the MUT issued a directive to teachers at the Paola school as well as at MCAST not to carry out lessons because of water supply problems. 

Times of Malta is informed the issues have been resolved and lessons resumed on Friday.

The MUT head also defended the decision to not accept homework from students who are unwell, saying this measure had already been in place. 

“This was always the rule, but it was not always enforced properly. We believe with the efforts by the health authorities to ensure good hygiene, we needed to start enforcing the measure properly,” Mr Bonnici said.