Updated 4.45pm, adds Children's Commissioner statement

There are 28 COVID-19 cases in state schools, a week after they reopened in the midst of the pandemic. 

Two children and 26 educators have so far tested positive for the virus, sources within the Education Ministry said. 

However, none of the patients contracted the virus from within schools, according to Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci. 

The Education Ministry source said that although there were 28 cases this was “not an alarming number” considering that there are 107 state schools, 7,000 educators and 33,000 students. 

Figures for COVID-19 cases do not include any church or independent schools. 

According to COVID-19 protocol, as soon as a case is identified, authorities contact school health and safety officers to start the process of contact tracing to identify who could have been exposed and where the exposure took place. 

The Education Ministry source said that the majority of educators had already self-isolated before they tested positive for the virus.

However, there were a number of colleagues who were asked to quarantine for two weeks after a risk assessment found that they were at high risk of having contracted the virus. 

With regard to the two children, they appear to have contracted the virus from positive family members and had not gone to school for a couple of days before they tested positive. 

Earlier this week, the school heads at the Gozo sixth form shifted all lessons online after a student was suspected to have contracted the virus. 

Government being disrespectful to educators, pupils, their families - MUT

In a statement, the Malta Union of Teachers said it is clear that the virus transmission rate in the community is massive and this is leading to positive cases in schools.

As a result, educators and students are being caught in quarantine, children are missing school because of fear, and parents and custodians are calling on schools to provide online teaching for these students.

This pressure is due to the government's lack of action to introduce new measures in society to curb the pandemic and enforce existing measures. This is disrespectful towards educators, students and their families who are doing their utmost to avoid risks.

MUT said it had already given the government an ultimatum, which expires on Thursday, where it is insisting that the necessary measures are introduced as proposed by several unions and organisations including experts in the medical sector.

This is the only certain way to curb the pandemic if the government wants schools to remain open, it said.

Education and health are both fundamental rights - Children's Commissioner

The right of every child in Malta to quality education must be guaranteed in the face of the ongoing pandemic as should be their own and their teacher’s right to health, the Commissioner for Children said.

The commissioner said in a statement that both education and health are fundamental rights that must be provided in equal measure even in this situation.

"There can be no compromises on the quality of education when trying to reconcile the competing demands of child education and public health.

"Children and teachers must strive to excel and be held to the same high standards whether they are receiving or providing education at school or in a remote manner," the office of the commissioner said.

It appealed to all stakeholders not to overstep their remit and let the public health authorities decide what public health measures are needed to respond to any outbreak of COVID-19 in schools.

"The adoption of such measures is the exclusive remit and responsibility of the public health authorities," it said.