Wuhan to re-open schools, day care centers from next month
Beijing, Aug 29 (efe-epa).- Day care centers and schools in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus were recorded, will begin school year on Sep. 1, municipal authorities reported Saturday.
In a statement published on its website, the government of Wuhan said that the nearly 1.4 million students, who will return to classrooms on Tuesday, will not be required to cover their nose and mouth with a face mask on campus under normal circumstances.
“Students do not need to wear face masks on campus but should carry them just in case,” Wang Chifu, deputy director of Wuhan Education Bureau, said at a press conference, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
However, the authorities do recommend the use of masks on the way to and from school.
They have also advised students to avoid using public transport to go to school in order to minimize human contact, and said they should maintain social distancing and practice hand hygiene, in addition to using a mask, in the event its use is required.
All staff at schools and day care centers will be required to wear masks and the temperature of students will be checked before allowing them to enter.
The Wuhan government said it was opting for a hybrid mix of in-class and distance learning that will be adapted as per the health conditions after the start of the school year.
On Sep. 1, almost 1.4 million students will return to the classrooms at 2,842 schools in the city, which was placed under strict lockdown between late January and early April and which has gradually been reducing prevention measures.
Regular health inspections and disinfections will be carried out at the schools and day care centers throughout the school year.
Municipal authorities have also asked parents to immediately inform schools if their children exhibit the common symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever.
According to official figures, 85,022 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the Asian country since the onset of the pandemic, including 4,634 deaths.
On Friday, China diagnosed 9 new coronavirus infections, all of them in overseas travelers while local infections remained at zero for the 13th consecutive day. EFE-EPA
jt/pd/lds
