On August 13, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education jointly released guidelines for the reopening of universities and colleges, primary and middle schools, and kindergartens in fall. According to the guidelines, students in primary and middle schools shall carry medical face masks and those in COVID-19 low-risk areas will not have to wear them. The guidelines are specified as follows:
Universities and colleges
Students shall not return to campuses until further notice. Students, faculty and staff members from COVID-19 medium and high-risk areas shall submit nucleic acid test results in the week before they return to campuses. According to the guidelines,students and faculty members who are currently overseas will not be allowed to return to campuses until further notice; they shall submit nucleic acid test results as per relevant requirements before returning.
Students and faculty members shall report their body temperatures, health conditions and history whereabouts for 14 consecutive days before they return to campuses.Students and teachers are not required to wear face masks within campuses. In case of students or other staff members running a fever, send them to designated room for temporary quarantine. Students, faculty and staff members, after recovery, shall submit certificates for class resumption released by local qualified medical institutions.
Public spaces such as classrooms, study rooms, libraries, gymnasiums, etc. shall be opened as much as possible; improve the management of various group events; avoid organizing large indoor gatherings if they are unnecessary.
Primary and middle schools
According to the guidelines, students and teachers who are currently overseas will not be allowed to return to campuses until further notice; they shall submit nucleic acid test results as per relevant requirements before returning.
Students shall properly wear face masks and carry disposable medical face masks or other masks that can provide the same-level protection. Students in COVID-19 low-risk areas don’t need to wear face masks. Teachers and staff members shall take proper self-protection measures. Teachers don’t need to wear face masks when giving lessons. Entrance guards, sanitation workers and cafeteria workers, etc. shall wear face masks.
Primary and middle schools will be put under relatively closed management, with no entry for visitors, in a bid to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Teachers and students shall accept identity verification and body temperature check when entering schools. On the basis of morning and afternoon checks for teachers and students, those who take evening self-study classes or live in schools shall take an additional evening check. To do the regular health checks, staff members shall wear face masks and disposable gloves, and adhere to the principle of “report on a daily basis regardless of whether there are suspicious cases”. Eligible teachers and staff members are advised to take voluntary nucleic acid tests before returning.
Kindergartens
Students and teachers shall return in an orderly manner as per relevant notices and arrangements and make sure they are in good health condition before returning. Students and teachers who are currently overseas are not allowed to return until further notice; new students are not allowed to register; they shall strictly observe local regulations after entering China.
Students don’t have to wear face masks in kindergartens; teachers, guards, sanitation workers and cafeteria workers shall wear face masks and pay attention to hand hygiene in particular. Besides, cafeteria workers shall wear uniform and keep clean.
Students and teachers shall take body temperature check before entering; they are allowed to enter if they don’t have such symptoms as fever and dry cough, etc. The “morning-afternoon-evening checks and all-day observation” system shall be strictly implemented. In terms of the morning, afternoon and evening checks, staff members shall wear face masks and disposable gloves. Parents are not allowed to enter when picking up their children; each class will be staggered to enter and exit kindergartens. One-meter distancing area can be set near the entrance of kindergartens.
