School closures have been among the most common measures taken during the pandemic to limit the spread of Sars-Cov-2. Quantifying the impact of these measures on infections is important, as closures have short- and long-term costs associated with reduced learning opportunities. This work analyses the case of Italy and studies separately the impact of the reopening of schools in September 2020 and their closure in the Campania region in October 2020.
The first regions to reopen schools recorded an increase in cases compared with the other regions, but there is a high degree of uncertainty around these estimates. The infection rate correlates positively with overcrowding in classrooms and negatively with the modernity of school buildings. The closure of schools in Campania, compared with a group of similar regions, led to a decrease in cases in the younger age groups of the population, but not in the other age groups.
