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Right-wing academics feel threatened & censored at UK universities, says think tank demanding change

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Europe/United Kingdom/09-08-2020/Author and Source: www.rt.com

Academic freedom in the UK is in peril, with universities increasingly hostile to right-wing views, a new study claims. Complaints about campus bias and ‘cancel culture’ are 10 a penny, but this one carries more weight than most.

“Britain’s universities are world-leading. Yet there is growing concern that academic freedom in these institutions is being undermined.” opens a report

According to the report, one in four social sciences academics would be willing to support a dismissal campaign against a colleague who expresses right-wing views on multiculturalism, imperialism, parenting, or diversity in organizations. Right-leaning professors, outnumbered three to one by their left-wing colleagues, say that the climate in universities is hostile to their views. More than 60 percent of ‘very right’ professors perceive this hostility, compared to only 16 percent of those who identify as ‘very left.’

A third of all right-leaning academics say they’ve refrained from airing their views in teaching and research, compared to 15 percent of left-wingers.

Academics lean further left than the general population. While less than one in ten Britons want increased immigration to the UK, nearly a third of academics support an increased influx. Conversely, while more than half of the population wants immigration lowered, only 16 percent of academics support this policy.

However, the most divisive issue on campus appears to be Brexit. With only 17 percent of academics admitting that they voted leave, these leavers feel that the campus isn’t the place to air their views. In fact, just over half of all respondents said they’d feel comfortable sitting in a meeting or taking lunch with a leave voter. “[I’ve] been told leavers are fascists,” one leave voter who identifies as a “centrist”

Across the board, only three in ten academics think that a leave supporter would be comfortable expressing their views on campus. “I told someone I had voted leave and they called me a racist,” one such supporter said. “I voted leave but was scared to reveal this as my colleagues were so aggressive in their attitude,” another said.

Trans issues are a hot-button topic too, with only 37 percent of respondents saying they’d have lunch with someone who opposes admitting transsexuals to women’s refuge centers.

That a right-leaning think tank would highlight these issues is unsurprising. Opposition to ‘cancel culture’ has grown in recent months, even among prominent leftists. The so-called ‘Harper’s Letter’ is the most high-profile example of this opposition, having been signed by figures like JK Rowling and Noam Chomsky. However, the letter has been criticized for its limp stance, and its vague calls for “open debate.”

The Policy Exchange paper has some more concrete recommendations. It calls for the government to appoint a director for academic freedom to the Office for Students, to investigate violations of freedom of speech, and for violators of this freedom to face civil action. The Office of Students is instructed to fine universities for breaches of academic freedom, and universities are asked to adopt a commitment to freedom, along the lines of the Chicago Principles, signed by 72 universities in the US.

Policy Exchange has succeeded in influencing actual policy before. The government adopted one of its papers on reviving traditional architecture in 2019, and in 2016, the government took on board its advice that military personnel in combat zones be protected from lawsuits for all but the most serious breaches of humanitarian law.

The organization’s latest report has been backed by some prominent public figures. “It does the country no good if our educators, our academics, our scholars and, most importantly, our students feel that they can’t speak or engage without fear of retribution,” former Labour MP Ruth Smeeth wrote in its foreword.

In a statement to the media, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan added: “It is deeply concerning the extent to which students and academics with mainstream views are being silenced and discriminated against in our universities,” promising to “strengthen free speech and academic freedom.”

However, some of the more determined leftists are unlikely to be won over. “The idea that academic freedom is under threat is a myth,” University and College Union Secretary Jo Grady responded in a statement. “The main concern our members express is not with think-tank-inspired bogeymen, but with the current government’s wish to police what can and cannot be taught at university.”

Source and Image: https://www.rt.com/uk/496983-right-wing-professors-censored/

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Japan: The shape of post-pandemic university education

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Asia/ Japan/ 28.07.2020/ Source: www.japantimes.co.jp.

How will the pandemic affect universities? How will they metamorphose as they go through the COVID-19 period and then the time after it’s over?

I define the COVID-19 period as the time before vaccines and drugs are developed to combat the new coronavirus. This is the time when the “new normal” of wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining social distances are required to avoid infection in the “Three Cs” environment: closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded and close-contact settings. In the period that follows, COVID-19 will become an ordinary infectious disease that can be combated by vaccines and drugs, like influenza.

At Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), where I serve as president, all the classes during the first half of this school year (April-September) are being held online using the Zoom video-conferencing system.

Fortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak is under control to some extent in Japan. So far, some 31,000 people have become infected with the coronavirus and 1,000 have died in this country, while worldwide 16 million people have been infected and more than 640,000 have died. Since Japan accounts for about 1.5 percent of the world’s population, it can be said that it is relatively safe as far as COVID-19 is concerned.

As Japan cautiously tries to return to normalcy, universities are exploring how to normalize their education. In the latter half of the school year, APU plans to hold hybrid classes, with students attending classes on campus when possible, and online classes being provided for students who cannot come to campus or when otherwise appropriate.

Universities have no other choice but to try hybrid teaching since there is no telling when the second wave of coronavirus infections will hit.

As such, we will have to consider several issues: 1) What kind of face-to-face classes are possible while maintaining social distancing under the terms of the new normal; 2) Where to draw a line between online classes (typically large classes with the priority of imparting knowledge to students) and face-to-face classes (typically a seminar in which the teacher and a small group of students discuss specific topics); and 3) To what extent will technology be able to help provide equal educational opportunities for students participating remotely in a class that other students are attending in-person.

During the COVID-19 period, the quality of hybrid teaching will hold the key to the competitiveness of universities.

What will universities be like in the post-COVID-19 period? It is unthinkable that they will completely go back to the old normal because it’s human nature to not let go of things that are found to be convenient. Some of the teachers who become accustomed to the convenience of teaching online from home may not want to return to face-to-face classes.

Does that mean that universities will move toward online teaching and distance learning? The tuition for the broadcast-based Open University of Japan is about one-fifth that of ordinary universities. If this is adopted by other universities, teachers’ salaries or the number of teachers could be reduced to one-fifth. Would Japan be able to maintain its level of research and education under such a system?

If teaching moves online, students will be able to compare class options. Students may in fact be happier if videos of classes taught by popular instructors known for their teaching virtuosity are distributed online — like some prep schools have been doing. In this sense, pursuing an “online” university may result in axing large numbers of teachers and getting rid of big university campuses.

Minerva Schools at KGI, touted as a model for 21st century universities, may give us a hint as to the future of higher education. While all of Minerva’s classes are online, their students are supposed to live in dormitories that are scattered across the globe. The students move among them so they can experience living in various parts of the world.

Minerva attaches importance to the idea of peer learning. Most people are lazy so it is fairly hard for them to study by themselves. In general, students can learn only when they mingle with each other and with teachers. Philip II, king of the ancient Macedon, spent a large sum of money to invite Aristotle from Athens to tutor his son Alexander and provide him with a special education. Philip II then opened a school where Aristotle taught Alexander and select children of other aristocrats.

The idea of peer learning has been handed down unbroken from Ancient Greece to this day. Here lies the essence of university education. It can be said that a university is a form of business that makes sense only when it provides students with a physical environment for learning. The core value of this is joy that is born when students deepen their study by spending time with each other and with university staff, including teachers.

In other words, students deepen their studies through total immersion in campus life, including extracurricular activities. Therefore, there won’t be any problems even if classes, which make up only one part of campus life, are replaced by online teaching. Teachers can use the time spared by online teaching to provide guidance and to advise students on their various needs.

Source of news: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/07/28/commentary/japan-commentary/shape-post-pandemic-university-education/

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United States: California sues Trump over rules to deport foreign students home if colleges offer online-only classes

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North America/United States/12-05-2020/Author and Source: www.rt.com

California has joined several Ivy League schools in challenging immigration rules that would send foreign students back if they can’t attend classes in person, claiming such a requirement would only spread Covid-19.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced on Thursday that the state will file a legal challenge against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), over their recent clarification of the rule that foreign exchange students would have to leave the US if their schools operate online-only classes.

“Today’s lawsuit rests on America’s enduring principle that everyone who works hard and plays by the rules can earn a chance to get ahead,” said Becerra, flanked by California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, and California State University Chancellor Timothy White.

Becerra’s move comes after Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) filed their own lawsuit in a federal court in Boston on Wednesday. Both petitions seek injunctions barring the federal government from enforcing the rule, in a tactic previously used to block the implementation of travel bans and visa restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, the DHS and ICE published new guidance on foreign students’ status, clarifying that their visas will not be valid if the institutions they attend offer only virtual courses. Though the Trump administration ultimately prevailed, the cases went all the way up to the US Supreme Court and took years to resolve.

Asked about the rule, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany pointed out that visas weren’t being issued for online classes such as offered by the University of Phoenix, and that online-only classes from Harvard would be no different.

International students are a major cash cow for US universities, however, as they tend to pay full tuition rather than the discounted or loan-subsidized price most American students end up paying. California’s interest in maintaining this pipeline is understandable, since there were around 162,000 international students in the state last year.

This profit motive was pointed out by some advocates for “undocumented” students – illegal immigrants whom California treats like legal residents for the purpose of tuition – who say that it’s notable the colleges are protesting “xenophobia” only when it hits their affluent foreign students as opposed to “undocs.”

Source and Image: https://www.rt.com/usa/494325-california-lawsuit-international-students/

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New US campus sex assault plan gets pushback

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North America/United States/10-05-2020/Author and Source: www.bbc.com

US universities must hold hearings on campus sexual assault claims where alleged victims and attackers can be cross-examined, according to federal guidelines.

The mandate is part of a new set of US Department of Education rules on how places of learning must handle sexual misconduct cases.

The agency said the rules will ensure fairness to accusers and accused.

Critics said they will discourage victims from reporting attacks.

The new policy, issued on Wednesday following an 18-month review, limits what complaints private and public universities are obliged to investigate and raises the burden for holding a school liable for sexual assault.

They have until August to comply with the rules, which are a marked shift for addressing how universities enforce Title IX, the federal law barring discrimination in education based on gender.

The previous administration had sought to expand university responsibility for sexual misconduct on campuses under Title IX.

Under the Trump administration rules, the institutions are required to provide a live hearing and allow advisers to cross-question parties and witnesses involved – a practice discouraged by the previous administration.

In announcing the policy, Betsey DeVos, the education secretary, said: «Too many students have lost access to their education because their school inadequately responded when a student filed a complaint of sexual harassment or sexual assault.

«This new regulation requires schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct, without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process.»

Some initial rules to limit schools’ liabilities and apply the requirement for hearings to secondary school pupils Ms DeVos proposed in November 2018 were scrapped amid dissent from victims’ groups.

However, advocacy groups said the final policy cut back on victims’ rights.

Fatima Graves of the National Women’s Law Center told the New York Times that «if this rule goes into effect, survivors will be denied their civil rights and will get the message loud and clear that there is no point in reporting assault».

The group will challenge the rules in court, Ms Graves said.

Source and Image: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52566997

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Countries around the world are reopening their schools. This is what it looks like

Reseñas

Por: Melissa Wiley.

  • Coronavirus lockdown measures have partially or fully closed schools for more than 90% of the world’s student population across 186 countries and territories, according to UNESCO.
  • After closing schools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a handful of countries like Denmark and Japan have started reopening them.
  • New safety measures range from keeping windows open for ventilation to spacing desks six feet apart and resuming classes for students of a certain age.
  • Here’s a look at some countries and provinces that have reopened schools so far.

Some schools in China began reopening in March, though many remain closed.

Students wearing face masks use hand sanitisers at an entrance to a school in Shanghai, China, as senior high school and senior middle school students in Shanghai return to campus following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, April 27, 2020. cnsphoto via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. - RC2TCG9XS0LW
Students are slowly returning to school in China with hygiene measures put in place.
Image: REUTERS

In late January, China instituted a lockdown for the 11 million residents of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus outbreak originated. Fifteen other cities soon followed, and at its peak, China’s quarantine extended to 20 provinces and regions, according to the Wall Street Journal. Due to lockdown measures, some 200 million students transitioned to online learning in February, the Washington Post reported.

Have you read?

On March 18, China reported no new local coronavirus cases for the first time since the outbreak and has gradually lifted restrictions in the weeks since.

While schools in nine mainland provinces had reopened for graduating students as of early April, according to the South China Morning Post, UNESCO’s data shows that most schools remain closed in larger regions. High school seniors in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou only just returned to school on April 27 to prepare for their college entrance exams.

BBC reported that China’s Ministry of Education is requiring that students have their temperatures checked at school entrances and that they display a «green» code of health via China’s smartphone health code program.

Taiwan reopened schools on February 25 after extending winter break by ten days.

Pupils sit in desks with yellow dividers, set up as a measure against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Dajia Elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang - RC2YIF9PKWT4
In Taiwan, China, pupils have been sitting with plastic dividers, to stop the spread of germs.
Image: REUTERS/Ann Wang – RC2YIF9PKWT4

After learning of the coronavirus outbreak, Taiwan took swift action to contain its spread.

Taiwan never officially closed schools but did extend winter break by 10 days in February in order to disinfect education facilities, distribute medical supplies, and implement new procedures for schools with confirmed coronavirus cases.

Schools now conduct temperature checks, and some have employed plastic tabletop desk partitions as an added security measure.

Schools in Japan reopened in early April for the new school year.

Children attend the entrance ceremony of an elementary school, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Nagoya, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo April 6, 2020. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPAN. - RC2RYF9IDEED
In Japan, 40% of schools have reopened.
Image: REUTERS

On February 27, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged elementary, middle, and high schools across Japan to close beginning March 2 until the start of the new school year in early April to prevent the spread of the virus.

Abe did not issue specific guidance for universities, most of which were on spring break as they follow a separate semester system.

On March 24, Japan announced that it would not extend its school closure recommendation, leaving the decision of when and whether or not to reopen to local municipalities based on the number of coronavirus cases in the area. The Ministry of Health also released guidelines for school reopening which include opening windows to ventilate classrooms, maintaining physical distance, checking temperatures daily, and wearing face masks.

«The circumstances of each area is different, and it will be much more effective to judge based on the actual ground situation rather than dictating a policy measure nationwide,» Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda told the Straits Times.

To date, about 40% of schools have reopened, according to UNESCO.

This could be due in part to the national state of emergency that Abe announced on April 16 following a rise in new infections. The state of emergency gives leaders of Japan’s 47 prefectures, or administrative regions, the authority to request school closures and ask residents to stay home. Abe has indicated that he will extend the state of emergency past its May 6 expiration date, Bloomberg reported.

On April 15, Denmark became the first European country on lockdown to reopen its schools, beginning with children in daycare and grades 1 through 5.

Parents with their children stand in a queue waiting to get inside Stengaard School following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak north of Copenhagen, Denemark, April 15, 2020. Ritzau Scanpix/Bo Amstrup/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK. - RC2Y4G9RKE0S
Students in Denmark are adhering to social distancing measures.
Image: via REUTERS

Denmark’s youngest students returned to school earlier this month as part of Denmark’s plan to gradually reopen the country following a decline in the rate of new infections.

While classes have resumed, schools have placed desks six feet apart and staggered student arrivals, among other measures, in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines still in place.

Denmark announced its first lockdown measures on March 11 before the country reported any coronavirus deaths and closed schools on March 16. For the time being, high schools and universities remain closed.

Norway began reopening its kindergartens on April 20, followed by primary schools for children in grades 1 through 4 on April 27.

Children stay in line at Vikasen school, as it reopens after few weeks, due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Trondheim, Norway April 27, 2020. NTB Scanpix/Gorm Kallestad via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NORWAY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NORWAY. - RC2XCG90F6GI
In Norway, schools are encouraged to divide classes into groups of no more than 15 students.
Image: via REUTERS

Norway closed schools on March 12 and, like Denmark, has sent its youngest students back to class ahead of older pupils due to a decline in the rate of coronavirus transmission.

«Together we have taken control of the virus, therefore we can open up society little by little,» Prime Minister Erna Solberg said during a news conference in early April.

To encourage social distancing, the government has urged schools to divide classes into groups of no more than 15 and have children wash their desks daily, among other precautions. Upper schools and universities remain closed until further notice.

Germany reopened high schools on April 20 to high school seniors.

Students of a vocational school for pharmacy technicians participate in class on the first school day after a five-week shutdown due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Munich, Germany April 27, 2020. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert - RC2VCG93UW53
In Germany, Chancellor Merkel, advised that schools give priority to graduating students when reopening gradually.
Image: REUTERS/Andreas Gebert – RC2VCG93UW53

Select high schools across Germany reopened earlier this month so that seniors could take their final exams.

Most schools and daycares across Germany’s 16 states have been closed since mid-March during which time the country has achieved «fragile intermediate success» in reducing the spread of the virus, Chancellor Angela Merkel said earlier this month.

As part of Germany’s plan to gradually lift its lockdown following, Merkel recommended that schools begin the process of reopening on May 4, giving priority to graduating students.

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Kenya launches the Great Covid-19 innovation challenge

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Africa/Kenya/03-05-2020/Author(a): Claire Wanja/Source: www.kbc.co.ke

Kenya through Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA), has partnered with the Association of Countrywide Innovation Hubs,private sector,academia,Non-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations Development Program(UNDP), to launch the Great Covid-19 Innovation Challenge.

Konza Technopolis has convened multiple stakeholders to co-create technology-based solutions, by harnessing the creativity and innovative capabilities of Kenyans and Africans towards the challenges emerging from COVID19.

Eng. John Tanui, the Chief Executive officer KoTDA, said that “KoTDA is honored to lead this Great Challenge, as the convener of the technology and innovation ecosystem in Kenya. It is at times of adversity as espoused by COVID-19, that innovators are called upon to step up to the challenge and offer solutions. The hackathon will focus on three thematic challenge areas of around COVID-19, namely, Health Systems Innovation, Food Systems Innovation and dignified work.”

On his part, Mr.Joe Mucheru, the Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Youth Affairs said that “the Ministry of ICT has in place, a national data center located and managed by KoTDA, that will offer a platform for hosting the applications emerging from the challenge. One envisioned product is a call center solution targeted at front line health workers to access information, provide feed-back and make prompt decisions on managing the pandemic.”

Mr. Philip Thigo, Senior Director for Africa at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management said that “this Challenge is a testament to the power of multi-stakeholder collaborations in harnessing the power of emerging technologies and its ability to proffer practical solutions to pressing developmental challenges. We welcome the Government’s commitment to innovation and offer our capabilities towards this effort as one of the Top 5 Universities best placed to solve the world’s biggest Challenges.”

“The pandemic has proved that local solutions to such a global challenge are critical to the country’s efforts to mitigate and flatten the curve. Through collaboration, partnership,co-creation of ideas and harnessing the skills of youth, Kenya stands, a chance of mitigating the effects of the pandemic. As an association, we are keen to work with the government through the Konza innovation ecosystem to find solutions that can help the country overcome the pandemic while at the same time provide companies with solutions to mitigate social and business impacts.”said David Ogiga, Chairman, Association of Countryside Innovation hubs.

Since the declaration of Covid -19 as a global pandemic, the world has moved with speed to find ways of mitigating the effects of the pandemic as well as provide solutions to communities who have had to change the way they live, learn and work.

The pandemic was first reported in Kenya on 13th March. Since then, the country has been going through unprecedented times driven by the need to Isolate and reduce the spread of the pandemic. This new social norm has adversely affected all sectors of our economy. This situation, therefore, calls for creative and effective solutions to ensure preservation of life and productivity of Kenyans and the world.

Globally, technology and innovation centers and hubs are at the forefront of developing solutions towards the COVID19 pandemic. KoTDA as one such center of excellence in Technology advancement has taken the initiative to partner with other like-minded institutions to advance solutions as a practical response to mitigating against the effects and impacts of the pandemic and building resiliency Post COVID.

KoTDA wishes to acknowledge the partnership and support of Huawei, Oracle, Infonet, Microsoft,UK-Kenya Tech Hubs, Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, Moi University, Machakos University,Dedan Kimathi University,Meru University, Strathmore University and Technical University of Kenya.

Konza Technopolis is a vision 2030 project whose objective is to position Kenya as knowledge-based economy and a preferred Science, Technology and Innovation destination.

Through building a vibrant innovation ecosystem, Konza Technopolis shall focus on key sectors of the economy, among them, Life Science, Engineering and ICT/ITES that will enhance local innovation, R&D, entrepreneurship and Technology enterprise formation culture.

Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) will initiate programs that will support the generation of 17,000 direct jobs and 30,000 residents on completion of phase 1 and over 200,000 residents on its completion.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/kenya-launches-the-great-covid-19-innovation-challenge/

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Coronavirus: Republic of Ireland to close schools and colleges

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Europe/Ireland /15-03-2020 / Author and Source: www.bbc.com

Schools, colleges and other public facilities in the Republic of Ireland are to close in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar said the measures take effect from 18:00 on Thursday until 29 March.

He said that Northern Ireland and the UK would be briefed on developments.

Some 27 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland on Thursday, according to the Department of Health.

The first death linked to coronavirus in Ireland – involving an elderly woman with underlying health conditions – was announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile two more people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 10.

There are now 596 confirmed cases in the UK.

On Thursday another two more cases were diagnosed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 20.

On Thursday another two more cases were diagnosed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 20.

Republic of Ireland coronavirus stats

Making the announcement, Mr Varadkar added that indoor mass gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 500 should be cancelled. He said people should work remotely if possible. Airports and ports will remain open.

Earlier on Thursday, stocks tumbled around the world after US President Donald Trump restricted travel to the US from mainland Europe in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The UK and Ireland were not included.

Mr Trump announced a ban on travellers from 26 European countries entering the United States for 30 days, starting on Friday.

Mr Varadkar said schools, colleges and childcare facilities will close from Friday and that the public and businesses needed to take a sensible approach.

The measures introduced in the Republic of Ireland will have a significant impact on Northern Ireland’s border region, according to the managing director of O’Neill’s sportswear firm.

It employs more than 750 staff at its factory in Strabane, County Tyrone, near the border with County Donegal in the Republic.

Kieran Kennedy said: «That will be very challenging for a lot of our staff. It will have a real impact on our manufacturing.»

The taoiseach said he realised the restrictions would be a «real shock».

«It is going to involve big changes in the way we live our lives and I know I’m asking people to make enormous sacrifices but we’re doing it for each other,» Mr Varadkar said.

«Our economy will suffer but it will bounce back.

«Lost time in school or college will be recovered and in time our lives will go back to normal.

«Ireland is a great nation, we’re great people, we’ve experienced hardship and struggle before, we’ve overcome many trials in the past.»

Mr Varadkar said shops should remain open and public transport will continue to operate.

‘Necessary and justified’

Later, Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Simon Coveney said the closures were «necessary and justified».

Two women walk past a sign providing guidance information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19)Image copyrightAFP

«We do need to respond with calm, with unity, with discipline and resolve,» he said.

«These are the right measures at the right time based on the best public health advice.»

‘Decisive and rapid’

Tony Holohan, Ireland’s chief medical officer, said the measures announced by the government were «early, decisive, rapid, co-ordinated and comprehensive» and offered the «greatest chance of mitigating the impact» of the outbreak.

«But it is not to say it is going to prevent an increase in cases. We expect to see that,» he said.

Source and Imagen: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-51850811

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