Students at high schools and vocational training centers in Hanoi are expected to head back to class on December 6 if the places have no new Covid-19 infections for two weeks.
| 9th graders in Tam Dong Secondary School, Me Linh District, Hanoi return to school on Nov 22. Photo: Khanh Huy/ The Hanoi Times |
The return to school plan would be carried out in any area of all 30 districts which are labeled free-of-Covid or low-risk areas, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung told media today [November 29].
Given the complicated pandemic evolution, Dung stressed the importance of safety guidelines released by both education and health sectors, noting that teachers of in-person classes must be double dosed while no half-boarding services are available.
“Bringing students back to school in the context of high community infections must be well prepared, ensuring precautionary measures and always putting the safety of students first,” Dung said.
He warned schools of Covid-19 transmission, saying that if any infections are reported, classes must be closed to protect students.
Hanoi’s decision on reopening schools is based on the level of pandemic and the vaccination rate, and experiences gained from resuming in-person classes for the 9th graders a week ago.
Since November 23, the city started vaccinating children aged 15-17 who are mostly high school students. Thus far, more than 90% of these ages got the first jabs.
Sharing with The Hanoi Times, Associate Prof. Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor to the Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), said the inoculation is a good move to prepare for the back-to-school plans in Hanoi. The high vaccination rate would largely help prevent children from being infected and keep them at a possible safety level when returning to school.
Hanoi has more than 2.1 million students of all levels.
As reporting no infections after one week, Hanoi’s authorities consider bringing secondary students back to school “shortly after high school.”
Over the past few weeks, the number of Covid-19 infections in Hanoi has been on the rise. Between November 11 and November 28, Hanoi reported more than 5,600 cases, including 35% in the community.
On November 29, its case reached 429, the highest-ever single-day figure since the pandemic flared up in early 2020.
