640,000 Kids Added to Remote Learning in Latest Zig-Zag

The zig-zag of health regulations in the school system continued on Tuesday, as some 640,000 children were sent back to learning at home after their classes had reopened just days before.

According to the latest application of the “traffic light” plan, which ranks municipalities according to their infection rates, schoolchildren in grades 5-12 in communities designated “orange” or “red,” will resume remote study beginning Wednesday.

The coronavirus cabinet approved the change late on Monday, designating 51 percent of all towns and cities as red and orange, according to the Walla news site. That will nearly triple the number of students currently required to learn at home, approximately 220,000, the report said.

High-infection areas where schools will be closed include most Yerushalayim neighborhoods, Tiverya, Maale Adumim, Nazareth, Tzefas, Ashdod, Herzliya, Lod, Acre, and several Haifa neighborhoods.

Fifth to 12th graders in green and yellow areas will attend classes as usual. Kindergartens, grades 1-4 and special education programs will continue as usual, including in red and orange areas.