“The departments of Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, La Paz, and Chuquisaca are being instructed to implement distant classes”, Education Minister Omar Veliz informed. The measure has been extended to the entire country.

As a result of the forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon region and eastern Bolivia, where the flames have already affected more than 3,000 hectares, the air quality in the entire national territory has been described as “awful”, which poses a threat to human health.

This situation prompted President Luis Arce to declare national emergency on Saturday, September 7, while the Health Ministry issued a health alert due to the pollution high levels.

Official reports state that the air quality in the departments of Santa Cruz, Pando, and Beni was “extremely bad” on Sunday afternoon.

Veliz suggested that municipal governments use the national emergency decree to obtain resources and provide biosecurity supplies to educational units to protect the students’ health.

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