The Solomon Islands government has extended a school closure notice, previously only for institutions in the capital Honiara and Guadalcanal, to the rest of the country.
The Solomon Star reported the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, Franco Rodie issued the directive, as part of the country's Covid-19 response strategy.
Dr Rodie said the mass repatriation of people from the capital to their home provinces following the declaration of a State of Public Emergency last week was causing anxiety and confusion for schools and education authorities.
Because of this Dr Rodie ordered all schools to close with a tentative return date set for the 27th of April.
Franco Rodie urged all students to return home to their parents and advised teachers to return to their home provinces if they did not feel safe where they had been posted.
He urged everyone to remain calm and listen to the official advice from the government and health authorities.