Primary schools will reopen only after Covid-19 infection rates fall below 50%, the Arakan State Administration Council said on August 21.

U Hla Thein, a spokesman for the Arakan State military council, told DMG that efforts continue to prevent and control the third wave of Covid-19.

“Schools have been closed for almost two months now. If the virus infection rate drops below 50 percent in the third wave of the pandemic, schools across the country can be reopened. We are trying to control the virus infection rate,” he said.

The military regime’s Ministry of Health and Sports announced in July that all schools would be closed from July 9-23, citing the country’s growing coronavirus case count. It extended that order on July 23, to be in effect until August 8.

Overlapping has been a prolonged public holiday period since the military declared it on July 17 and then extended it multiple times. The regime said Friday that the latest extension would keep schools closed through the end of August.

Although primary schools have been closed, U Hla Thein said clean-up work is underway to reopen schools in Arakan State as Covid-19 infection rates have been declining.