Hanoi (VNA) - Students in nearly 30 provinces and cities across Vietnamreturned to school on April 27 after a long break since early February due toCOVID-19.

Most of the students are 9th and 12th graders who set to take the two keyexaminations for high school entrance and graduation in the next few months.Students in other grades are expected to return to school in the followingweeks.

Nguyen Hue Khai, Director of Ninh Thuan province’s Department of Education andTraining, said that local schools had cleaned and prepared regarding COVID-19prevention and control before receiving students.

Before class, students had their temperature checked and their hands washedwith soap or antibacterial gel. In class, they wear face masks and keep a safedistance from each other.

Minh Nguyet, Principle of Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School in Thuan Nam district,said that all students strictly followed preventive measures.

The school cooperated with local authorities and students’ families to ensuresafe distance when students were taken to school and picked up later, avoidingpublic gatherings, Nguyet said.

Students were also told to limit gathering and not buy street food in front ofthe school, she said.

Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan provincial People’sCommittee Le Van Binh said that the committee asked local authorities andschools to ensure disease prevention and control measures when reopeningschools. Now, the province is classified in the group of low risk of diseaseinfection.

Over 104,000 students in Thua Thien-Hue province reportedly went to school on April27 morning.

Ho Le Minh Thu, a 12th grader at Hue High School for the Gifted, said that shewas very happy to go back to school, meeting teachers and friends.

“My teachers kept telling us how to protect our health and keep a safe distancewhen at school,” she said.

The school’s Principle Nguyen Phu Tho said that the staff cleaned all cornersof the school.

The number of students in every class was reduced and re-arranged to avoidcrowds.

Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training Nguyen Tan saidthat on April 27, secondary and high school students returned to school whileyounger students will go back on May 4.

In the central province of Phu Yen, over 32,000 high school students returnedto school on the same day.

Phan Van Khoa, Principle of Luong The Vinh Secondary School, said that theschool prepared necessary facilities including ten sinks for students to washtheir hands.

Over 230 students from grade 9 in the school were divided into 12 groups tostudy in 12 classrooms, so safe distance was ensured, he said.

Director of Phu Yen province’s Health Department Nguyen Thi Mong Ngoc said thathealth workers helped to train teachers and healthcare officers at schools indisease prevention and control.

She also called for cooperation from students and their families, for example,if they returned from areas at risk of COVID-19 infection, they should reportto local authorities as soon as possible.

Localities that reopened secondary schools and high schools on April 27 includeDien Bien, Son La, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Hoa Binh, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh and Nam Dinhin the north, Thua Thien-Hue, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan and Ha Tinh in thecentral region, plus Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Long An, Bac Lieu, Vinh Long,An Giang, Hau Giang, Dong Thap in the south, as well as Dak Lak, Kon Tum and DakNong in the Central Highland region.

Other localities including Gia Lai, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Yen Bai, Thai Binhand Ca Mau allowed students to return to school from April 20 to April 23 assoon as social distancing measures were eased.

Meanwhile, the other localities planned to reopen schools next month including BinhThuan, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Long An, Da Nang, Can tho, Quang Nam,Tra Vinh, Binh Phuoc and Quang Ngai./.