Opening or Not Opening Educational Centers in Time of SARS-CoV-2? Analysis of the Situation in Galicia (Spain)

[Abstract] The appearance of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the world stage has implemented changes in all social activities and, therefore, in teaching at all educational levels. On the one hand, it is argued that the closure of centers and virtual teaching minimizes the risk of contagion and, on the other, this closure implies a reduction in social interactions in the population at ages in which social skills are lower developing. In addition, it is necessary to guarantee that all children and adolescents have access to the necessary means for distance education. This article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the second, third and fourth waves in Galicia (northwestern region of Spain), where the centers were kept open with strict security protocols, with the aim of evaluating whether the measure of the center closure is a proportionate measure or not. The results obtained show that, at all educational levels, the incidence of infections has been low, as has the appearance of outbreaks of infections related to educational centers, so the damage caused by this measure can be considered uncompensated, with greater health security.This work was partially performed in the scope of the “STEM is inspiring future careers” project (2021-1-ES01-KA220-SCH-000031524), Erasmus + Progra