Shorter summer vacation OK'd in Wuhan for lost schooltime

Primary and secondary schools in Wuhan can shorten summer vacation to make up schooltime lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wuhan Education Bureau said on Monday.

They can also extend schooltime by one extra day each week and by one extra class each day after the new semester starts, Xia Chunyin, deputy director of the bureau, said at a news conference.

A total of 57,800 final-year students at the city's 121 high schools and secondary vocational schools, who are expected to take the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, in July, will return to schools on Wednesday, said Li Tao, deputy secretary-general of Wuhan government.

All students, teachers and staff must conduct nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 infections before they can return to school, Li said.

Schools should install an infrared thermometer at the front gate, prepare enough epidemic prevention and control equipment, and conduct thorough sterilization and disinfection on the entire campus before the new semester starts, Li said.

Students and teachers should wear surgical masks at school and each classroom should have less than 30 students, he said.

The schools should conduct daily sterilization and disinfection on campus and check the health conditions of all students and teachers every day after the new semester starts, he said.

Non-essential personnel cannot enter the campus and all schools should have on-site disease prevention and control experts and doctors, he added.