Liberia schools reopen after 6-month Ebola closure

Students in Liberia began returning to the classroom on Monday after a six-month closure during the Ebola epidemic that left thousands dead in this West African country. In the capital, lines formed outside entrances where returning students’ temperatures were being taken. Ebola’s main symptom is a high fever, and only those who are sick can spread the deadly virus to others. Deputy Education Minister Remses Kumbuyah said more than 5,000 kits were distributed to schools that included thermometers and chlorine for hand-washing.

“They should wash their hands in chlorine and they should ensure that there is no touching while on campus,” the minister told The Associated Press. “We are asking all the school administrators to ensure that a classroom should not have more than 45 or 50 students.”  Overcrowding is a major problem in Liberia’s schools, where as many as 100 pupils may be in a single classroom.