RIGA, Feb 23 (LETA) - So far in 2021, Covid-19 has been detected in 1,134 employees of pre-school educational institutions, according to the data compiled by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).

In the first week of the year, 177 kindergarten employees were infected with Covid-19, while the number of cases detected in the second and third weeks was slightly lower. However, in the fourth week of the year, the highest number of new Covid-19 cases among pre-school employees was registered so far this year - 188.

In the sixth week of this year, the lowest number of kindergarten staff infected with Covid-19 was registered - 100, but last week the number of new cases among kindergarten employees increased again, reaching 171.

CDC specialist Jurijs Perevoscikovs explained that statistical data show a positive effect of the introduction of distance learning on the reduction of the infection rate, because until the 42nd week of last year the infection rate of children under 14 years of age increased, but after the 43rd week - began to stabilize.

Perevoscikovs also stressed that the incidence of Covid-19 among adolescents is related to active contacting outside school.

Also, within the last three weeks, there has been an increase in the infection rate in virtually all age groups of children, including children aged two to four attending kindergarten. In addition, pre-school staff continue to become infected with Covid-19.

Educational institutions appear as the place of infection in about 7 percent of all infection cases.