A health worker sprays disinfectant at the Đan Phượng kindergarten, Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — University and high school students in 23 provinces will go back to school on March 2, local authorities announced on Friday.

The provinces include Đồng Tháp, Gia Lai, Bình Định, Sơn La, Đắk Nông, Đắk Lắk, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Tiền Giang, Bạc Liêu, Hải Dương, Bắc Giang, Hậu Giang, Cà Mau, An Giang, Nghệ An, Quảng Ninh, Bình Phước, Long An, Bình Thuận, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Đồng Nai, Trà Vinh, and Sóc Trăng.  

The people’s committees in those provinces have decided to reopen universities, high schools and regular education centres on Monday next week, ending the one-month-long extra holiday for students due to fears of the coronavirus outbreak in Việt Nam.

Except for Nghệ An, Quảng Ninh, Bình Thuận and Bình Phước provinces, secondary and primary schools and kindergartens in other localities will open again on March 9.

Secondary schools in Nghệ An will start receiving students on March 9, while primary and kindergartens will open later on March 16.

Children at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Quảng Ninh, Bình Thuận and Bình Phước, meanwhile, will return to class on March 16.

As of 4pm Friday, the two biggest cities of Hà Nội and HCM City were yet to announce their decision on when schools could open again.

The death toll from the COVID-19 outbreak climbed to 2,858 people worldwide as of Friday afternoon, with more than 83,700 people infected.

High school students in 23 provinces will return to school next Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

The provinces’ moves came after the Ministry of Education and Training on Thursday gave out its recommendation on the schools’ reopening dates as parents remained on high alert over the worsening outbreak of the coronavirus worldwide.

Accordingly, the ministry proposed the People’s Committees of 63 provinces and provincial-level cities to let high school and regular education centres students go back to school on March 2.

As for younger children at kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, the local authorities can consider extending the school closure for another one or two weeks depending on their own circumstances.

The ministry this week had to adjust the school year term for 2019-2020 after schools nationwide were forced to close amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Việt Nam. 

The school year is set to end by June 30, with high school enrolment done by August 15. The most important examination of the year – the national high school graduation test, the results of which will determine if one can enter a university – will take place between July 23 and July 26, said the ministry.

The Government and the education ministry have been under great pressure for the last week to reopen schools as all 16 patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Việt Nam have fully recovered with the last discharged from hospital on Tuesday.

No new cases have been reported for the last 16 days. — VNS