Ethiopia schools reopen after seven months

Schools in Ethiopia are re-opening from Monday after closing for more than seven months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The schools will reopen in stages with students in rural districts returning to classes first.

Schools were closed down after the country reported its first case of coronavirus in March.

The country is aiming to reopen all primary and secondary schools by mid-November.

Some parents remain wary of sending their children to school but the ministry of education has said it was taking necessary measures to minimise the risk of the virus spreading in schools.

One of the measure is to distribute 50 million face masks for pupils and teachers.

Those in their last year of secondary school will still have to do their exams next year, online.

Ethiopia has not introduced full lockdowns during the pandemic. A five-month state of emergency ended in early September and the country has returned to relative normalcy.