After meeting on December 15, the general secretary of the National Education Workers' Union (SNTE), Alfonso Cepeda Salas, and the head of SEP, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, the SNTE requested from the Ministry of Public Education, among other measures for the return of face-to-face classes, and that COVID-19 be considered an illness of occupational risk.

This morning, through his social media accounts, Moctezuma Barragán informed that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador approved that COVID-19 be considered an occupational hazard for teachers in Mexico.

This measure will be in effect as soon as they return to face-to-face classes. It is worth mentioning that the return will only take place when the epidemiological traffic light is and remains green. The SNTE also requested that teachers and support staff be considered a priority in the application of vaccines, as well as to guarantee medical attention and medicines in the corresponding social security system.

Likewise, it was requested that workers over 60 years of age, those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, cancer or lupus, as well as pregnant or lactating women, do not attend classes in favor of their health.

The Secretary General said that it was necessary to ensure that before and during the return to class at the green light, the schools are disinfected, in addition to having drinking water, soap and ventilation. It is very important that cleaning products are permanently available to ensure compliance with sanitary measures.

Although the return to classes will be until the green light, Cepeda proposes that even when the light is green, three filters be installed: family, school and classroom, in order to detect possible cases of COVID-19, he emphasizes that it is necessary to orient parents more than anything else so that these filters are implemented correctly.