National high school graduation examination candidates in HCM City sanitise their hands before entering an examination venue on July 7. VNA/VNS.Photo Hồng Giang

HCM CITY— Nearly 83,000 candidates sat the national high school graduation examination at 155 centres in HCM City on Wednesday (July 7), writing the literature and maths papers on the opening day.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyễn Văn Phúc was at Trưng Vương High School in District 1 to monitor the examination and implementation of COVID-19 prevention measures.

Candidates had to be present early, cleanse their hands with sanitisers and enter the exam hall under proctors’ guidance.     

Lương Bích Nga, the school official, said two classrooms have been earmarked for taking care of candidates who develop sudden health problems.

The venue also has essential equipment for isolating people and 200 boxes of masks and anti-droplet goggles for candidates to use, she said.

Parents coming to drop off and pick up candidates have been told to stay almost 50 metres away from the entrance, she said.  

At Thủ Đức High School in Thủ Đức city, candidates wore masks, washed their hands and had their temperature measured, part of the Ministry of Health’s 5k mandate to prevent the spread of COVID.

Nguyễn Khắc Minh, a candidate there, said he felt safe with all the preventive measures being carried out.  

The Chairman of the city People’s Committee, Nguyễn Thành Phong, and top officials from various departments were also out to monitor examination centres.

Phong had encouraging words for the 553 students at the venue he visited, Lương Thế Vinh High School in District 1.

He apprised them about the preventive measures to ensure their safety and supervisors’.

Nguyễn Văn Hiếu, deputy director of the city Department of Education and Training, said the examination steering board has prioritised the safety of candidates and proctors.  

There are candidates whose areas are under lockdown or are in quarantine or isolated at home, and they will sit the examination later on dates yet to be determined by the Ministry of Education and Training.  

More than 8,700 other students have volunteered to assist the candidates. All have been tested for the coronavirus.  

Positive for coronavirus

One candidate of the venue in the District 3's Lê Quý Đôn High School passed out while writing the literature test, was tested and found to have COVID, according to the city Press Centre.

He was sent to a health centre in District 3. He had tested negative on July 4.

A student came to Đặng Trần Côn Secondary School in Tân Phú District’s on July 6 to find out examination regulations and the tested positive.

A candidate at Lê Thánh Tôn High School in District 7 was found to be infected on July 7.

But how the two were identifies is not known.

The Department of Education and Training is working with the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention and local people’s committees to disinfect the three venues.

Special candidate

Quốc Học- Huế High School for the Gifted in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province has only one candidate, Trần Thị Phương Uyên of HCM City’s Hồng Đức Secondary-High School, who went to the province with her parents and is stuck because flights between the two destinations have been suspended.

Her parents asked the province Department of Education and Training for help, and it duly obliged.

An Giang Province

The Mekong Delta Province of An Giang is not organising the exams because social distancing is in place in the districts of An Phú, Châu Phú and Tịnh Biên and Châu Đốc city until July 13.

They account for 4,731 of the province’s 4,841candidates.  VNS