The Faroese strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 has worked well so far. During this first week of April, only ten new cases have been confirmed, and the number of active cases continues to drop. Hence, the government is now ready to lift some of the measures that were set in place mid-March to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Schools, daycares and several other public institutions have been closed for nearly a month, but in less than two weeks, daycares and schools will be open once again – partially.
At a press conference on Wednesday, it was announced that children can return to daycare and students in 1st – 3rd grade can return to school on 20 April. 3rd year college students are also going back to school on this day.
One of the reasons for this partial reopening is that the government wants to make it easier for parents of young children to get back to work. Jenis av Rana, Minister of education emphasised that this is merely an offer, and that parents, who would rather keep their young children at home for the time being, are free to do so.
3rd year college students are going back to school on 20 April, but it is yet unclear how their final exams will be handled. The rest of the students will continue with their online classes, and there will be no final examinations for public school students in the 9th and 10th grade.
At the press conference, it was also announced that the sports federations can start hosting tournaments and competitions again on 9 May, though the government still recommends that these events be hosted without spectators.
