Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday evening that a decision has been made to re-open schools on Sunday in a limited fashion, beginning with children in kindergarten and 1st through 3rd grades.

The decision is subject to change if infection rates begin to increase before then, with a situational assessment to take place on Friday.

Kindergarten classes will be divided into two groups of 15 children each. Each group will attend school for half a week on separate days and be divided into two smaller groups of about 7-8 children each in separate classrooms in the kindergarten.

Children in 1st-3rd grades will also be divided into two groups of about 15 students each. Each group will learn in separate classrooms with studies taking place from Sunday through Thursday. The groups will alternate breaking for recess to minimize contact between the children.

Students in 4th through 12 grades will continue learning remotely for the time being.

Daycares will also be re-opened in a similar fashion, with smaller groups and children attending on alternating days of the week.

Teachers who are in a high-risk category cannot return to work and students with family members at risk will not be able to attend school. The schools must also adhere to social distancing regulations and maintain stringent hygiene.

The Boston Talmud Torah in Bnei Brak already prepared a pilot classroom with partitions separating each child from one another:

מחיצות שקופות> פיילוט ראשוני בתלמוד תורה הבני ברקי: לבודד כל ילד >> https://t.co/WdboLArf7f pic.twitter.com/U6sXSKmgGv

— חדשות בחדרי חרדים (@behadrei_bhol) April 27, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)