Education Ministry report: 1,659 schoolchildren infected with COVID-19

Overall, schools and kindergartens saw lower rates of infection that the general population.

Parents accompany their children to the kindergarten in Tel Aviv as they return to kindergarden on October18, 2020 after being shut down during a national lockdown in a means to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.  (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Parents accompany their children to the kindergarten in Tel Aviv as they return to kindergarden on October18, 2020 after being shut down during a national lockdown in a means to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Ahead of the planned reopening of the entire Israeli school system next Sunday, the Education Ministry published an updated report on Tuesday afternoon which details the COVID-19 morbidity levels in Israel's education system among kindergarten children, special education students and regular school students.
Out of 512,555 kindergarten children, 271 tested positive for the virus, making up 3.1% of all patients in the population, lower than their share in the general population of 5.6%.
In Primary Education, out of 1,072,301 students, 737 students tested positive, making up 8.4% of all patients in the population, also lower than their share in the general population of 11.7%.
In middle schools and high schools, out of 805,779 students, 651 students were found to be ill, making up 7.4% of all patients in the general population, narrowly lower than their share in the population, 8.8%.
Special Education kindergartens saw 20 students out of 21,127 test positive, making up 0.23% of all patients in the general population, the same as their share in the population.
Special Education schools saw 32 out of 31,523 students test positive for COVID-19, making up 0.36% of all patients in the general population, almost identical to their share in the general population.
In all, the ministry reported 1,659 active coronavirus cases in students, along with another 459 active cases which have been found in teaching staff across the country.
Some 27 schools out of approximately 5,000 nationwide are currently closed due to high morbidity rates (0.54% of educational institutions), as well as 219 out of 21,000 kindergartens (just over 1%).