Wuxi Mayor Du Xiaogang (center) visits Linghu Branch of Wuxi Big Bridge Academy in Xinwu district on April 6. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxifabu2013]
Students in their first two years at junior and senior high schools and those studying at secondary vocational schools in Wuxi returned to school on April 7, after in-class education for the spring semester was suspended due to the novel coronavirus epidemic.
To ensure everything goes smoothly, teachers and staff have carried out many drills, taken temperatures, disinfected their schools, and are requiring everyone to wear masks.
Schools have also changed dining rules for students, as many parents have expressed concern about their children's safety while eating.
Students wearing masks stand in lines to pick up food in the school canteen. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxifabu2013]
The No 6 Middle School in Wuxi, Jiangsu conducted several drills, during which teachers acted as students and simulated multiple procedures, such as entering the school, attending classes, washing hands, and dining.
The school has set up three separate entrances for students of different grades to have their temperatures taken. If a student's temperature is found to be abnormal, he or she will be immediately taken to a doctor in the isolation area.
"These drills have helped us improve our safety precautions. For instance, after teachers simulated hand-washing procedures before eating, we found this could easily lead to crowding, so we suggested that students be divided and wash their hands in different groups," said school principal Zhang Gang.
At Xishan Senior Middle School in Jiangsu, canteen tables have been tagged with serial numbers, and students can find their designated table using the numbers. Wuxi Meili Middle School requires several classes to dine in their classrooms while others eat at the cafeteria where tables have been equipped with partitions to separate students.
Schools in Wuxi will continue to take strict preventative measures to ensure the safety of students and to prevent any further outbreaks of COVID-19 as schools begin to reopen.
