In Bolivia, the educational authorities of the Santa Cruz department have decided to bring forward the winter school break to June 30–July 11 due to the ongoing measles outbreak affecting the country. Education Minister Omar Véliz announced that in addition to Santa Cruz, the cities of La Paz, El Alto, PotosÃ, and several other municipalities have shifted to online learning until further notice. Other regions not directly impacted by the emergency will maintain the regular academic calendar, with the break scheduled from July 7 to 18. The government declared a national health emergency on June 23. The number of confirmed cases is 60 as of June 24, most of them in Santa Cruz. The first case was reported on April 21 and was linked to an individual arriving from Russia. President Luis Arce has launched a mass vaccination campaign with over 3,600 centers operating nationwide in coordination with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Meanwhile, other countries across the Americas — including the United States and Canada — are also reporting a rise in cases, with over 7,000 infections and nine deaths recorded in the region.
Massimo Serresi
