Schools in China will be reopened in a safe and staggered peak manner for the upcoming spring semester, according to the spokesperson of the country’s Ministry of Education.

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Relevant epidemic prevention and control measures and teaching arrangements were released at a press briefing by the Ministry on Tuesday.

The Ministry asked all local governments and universities to make plans for school reopening and stagger the return of students based on different local situations.

All local governments and universities should closely follow the epidemic situation and adjust their measures accordingly.

The health conditions of students and their close contacts, and their travel histories must be reported. Those from risky areas must be identified, tested and monitored appropriately. Strict control measures of the faculty, staff and students returning from outside the province are required, and those from medium-to-high risk areas should delay return.

Students should raise their awareness of pandemic prevention and avoid unnecessary travel or stopovers at risky areas before their return.

For safety concerns, universities should conduct regular nucleic acid testing for key personnel and environmental disinfection at key sites. Schools and universities are urged to work with local health departments and medical institutions to continuously optimize their emergency response capabilities.

According to the Ministry, the number of students staying on campus during the Spring Festival was 416,300. Effective measures have been rolled out to satisfy their basic needs, and no new cases occurred on campus during the winter vacation.

(Compiled by Liu Tongshan)