Ebola-hit Liberia further delays reopening of schools

Liberia’s Ministry of Education says it has further postponed the reopening of schools which have been shut down due to the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said the government would reopen the country’s schools on March 2 as parents and students needed more time to prepare for the start of the school year.

“The public is hereby informed that due to numerous appeals from school administrators, parents and other stakeholders, the commencement of class (has) now been scheduled for Monday, March 2,” the statement read.

The ministry has also urged schools to complete “Ebola training workshops” for teachers and students ahead of the reopening date.

Liberia, one of the three West African countries worst hit by the current Ebola outbreak, has noted a stable decrease in new cases over the last few weeks.

In Guinea, children returned to school on January 19 while Sierra Leone has said it will restart classes on March 30.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola outbreak has killed nearly 9,000 people around the world, almost all of them in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever, whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces, or sweat. It can also spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.