Tens of millions of children in the Philippines will not be allowed back to school until a coronavirus vaccine is available, officials announced yesterday, saying they may have to broadcast lessons on TV.

Nations like France and South Korea began resuming face-to-face classes as they got their outbreaks under control, but Philippine authorities see the risk as too great. President Duterte said last month that even if students could not graduate, they needed to stay out of school to fight Covid-19.

Classes are to resume at the end of August and teachers will use distance learning methods via the internet or TV broadcasts, officials said. Millions live in deep poverty in the ountry and do not have access to computers at home, which is key to the viability of online classes.