A number of education institutions in Moldova were closed on a temporary basis following a high number of cases of acute respiratory infections among children and students. These include a school and several nursery schools of the districts of Calarasi, Straseni, Taraclia and Ceadar-Lunga.

Contacted by IPN, head of the Preuniversity Education Division of the Ministry of Education Valentin Crudu said the two nurseries in Calarasi and Straseni were closed after a total of 34 children got acute respiratory infections there.

According to Crudu, the school in Taraclia district was closed after about 40 of the 260 students became infected. The institutions were closed for a week. The school’s administration is to present a timetable for teaching the missed classes to the Ministry of Education.

A nursery was also closed in Ceadar-Lunga. Contacted by IPN, the head of the district’s Public Health Center Ivan Hasta said that of the 195 children who attended the institution, 59 got infections. Twelve teachers of the nursery also suffer from acute respiratory infections.

The two schools of the district that were closed two weeks ago owing to the large number of respiratory infections there resumed work.

Earlier this week, the authorities said the epidemiological ceiling for acute respiratory infections was exceeded. The number of persons affected by such infections last week rose 1.2 times on the previous week to over 12,000 cases. More than 300 cases of seasonal flu have been reported in Moldova so far this season. Three persons died after developing complications. The Ministry of Health ordered that the public events involving a lot of people should be postponed.