Back to school for Hong Kong students at end of September

Hong Kong, Aug 31 (efe-epa).- Students in Hong Kong will return to their classrooms from 23 September, education authorities in the city announced on Monday.

Education secretary Kevin Yeung said in a statement that an improvement in the Covid-19 situation has made it possible for face-to-face education to resume in the former British colony.

A third wave of infections has seen more than 3,600 new cases reported in the city since the beginning of July, amounting to almost 75 percent of the total recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.

Hong Kong officials have also reported a total of 88 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic.

The rate of new infections has slowed in recent days, with 321 cases reported in the last two weeks, according to the city’s health authorities.

The return of pupils to their classrooms will take place in two phases.

Students in the first and last two years of primary and secondary school, as well as the last year of pre-school, will return on 23 September.

They will be joined six days later by the rest of the students from all educational centers.

Several measures will be implemented in a bid to stop infections from spreading at schools.

Classes will only be held during the morning to prevent students from gathering at lunchtime.