Learners should only return to school when it is safe to do so

The number of people who have been tested and confirmed to have the new coronavirus has gone down in the past few days, raising a glimmer of hope that we are not far from flattening the curve. The country has recorded under 250 cases daily for the past three days. This is good news.

Perhaps that is why the Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha says he is being pressurised to reopen schools. He says some private schools in cahoots with cartels in his ministry are pushing for schools to be reopened. But, encouragingly, he has rebuffed their demands.

Prof Magoha has in the past insisted that only the trajectory of the virus will determine when the schools will reopen. We support that stand. It is foolhardy to expose our children to danger merely because we want them to continue with their studies.

Notably, Health Director Patrick Amoth has cautioned that although the number of confirmed cases are on a  downward trend, this does not mean that we are out of the woods. Whether the worst is behind us, or ahead, will be determined in the coming few weeks.

For that reason, Kenya's must avoid holding early celebrations. People must not throw caution to the wind. We must continue observing all the measures laid down by the Health ministry. If indeed the curve has started flattening, it means these measures are working. It means the situation could be better if all of us, without exception, have been observing them.

That said, as the Education ministry continues to monitor the situation, it is important that it lays the groundwork for the reopening of the schools early enough.

It is imperative that it puts in place measures that will ensure social distancing is achieved, and that there is enough water and hand-washing points in the school compounds, among other important interventions to ensure that schools do not become the new hotspots for the spread of the virus.

Parents too must prepare for schools' re-opening. Back to school, especially for those with children in secondary schools and private institutions, means they have to dig deep into their pockets to pay school fees.

These are difficult times and some parents are hard up because they are out jobs or have spent their savings on hospital bills.

Nevertheless, it is still their responsibility to ensure their children go back when once it is declared that it is safe for them do so.