Knowing how school reopenings affect the spread of COVID-19 is crucial when balancing children’s right to schooling with contagion management. This paper considers the effects on COVID-19 testing prevalence and the positive test rate of reopening Norwegian schools after a 6-week closure aimed at reducing contagion. We estimate the effects of school reopening on teachers, parents and students using an event study/difference-in-differences design that incorporates comparison groups with minimal exposure to in-person schooling. We find no evidence that COVID-19 incidence increased following reopening among students, parents or teachers pooled across grade levels. We find some suggestive evidence that infection rates among upper secondary school teachers increased; however, the effects are small and transitory. At low levels of contagion, schools can safely be reopened when other social distancing policies remain in place.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, I18, H12, School closures, I10, H75, I28, 【초록키워드】 social distancing, Prevalence, COVID-19 testing, management, School, infection rate, group, Evidence, Contagion, COVID-19 incidence, Positive test, parent, Effect, Affect, spread of COVID-19, reducing, 【제목키워드】 School, reopening, parent, consequence,