Virus cases reported at 41 schools in Germany's capital

Berlin: At least 41 schools in Berlin have reported that students or teachers have become infected with the Coronavirus not even two weeks after schools reopened in the German capital.

Daily Berliner Zeitung published the numbers Friday and city education authorities confirmed the figures to The Associated Press.

Hundreds of students and teacher are in quarantine, the newspaper reported.

Elementary schools, high schools and trade schools are all affected, the paper wrote. There are 825 schools in Berlin.

The reopening of schools and the possible risks of virus clusters building up in educational institutions and then spreading beyond to families and further into society have been a matter of great concern and it's an issue that's hotly debated in Germany.

Education in Germany isn't in the hands of the federal government, but under the auspices of the country's 16 states and thus there are many differing COVID-19 rules in place depending on each state, especially when it comes to wearing masks. While some states are still on summer vacation, others have been back to school for about two weeks.