Council of Ministers convenes on reopening schools and universities

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) - Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday chaired a cabinet meeting on safely reopening schools and universities.

In the meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, the Cabinet discussed proposals form the Ministries of Education and Higher Education.

The Cabinet also reviewed a report by Minister of Health on the latest coronavirus infections, as well as the ongoing battle to contain the virus.

In today’s meeting, the Council debated ways to reopen schools and minimise new outbreaks, and voted for online learning for the first semester, except for twelfth-graders who study on campus. In that regard, Ministries of Education and Higher Education have been tasked to prepare health and safety guidelines for in-person learning, and set a date for the new school year.

During the meeting, the Cabinet also called for more public compliance with the health guidelines, and tasked the Ministry of Health to update its regulations and continue public awareness campaigns through with the Department of Media and Information.