Schools stay closed in Hanoi, HCM City due to COVID-19 threat

Students in Hanoi's public schools from kindergarten to senior high school will not return to school until after March 8, Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung has said.

Chung made the announcement at a city-level meeting on prevention of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Hanoi on February 28.

“Our goal is to avoid human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus in the city, but we still have different scenarios to prepare for the worst,” he said.

International schools in the capital are allowed to re-open on March 2 if they have confirmed their schools are safe and parents agree for their children to attend, the chairman added.

School officials spray disinfectant in a classroom in Bac Giang province. (Photo: VNA)
School officials spray disinfectant in a classroom in Bac Giang province. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City will allow students from kindergarten to 11th grade stay home until March 15, while 12th graders are to return to school after March 8.

Vinh Long province and Da Nang City will have 12th graders and university students return to school on March 2, and students of all levels return on March 16 and March 8, respectively.

In Nghe An, Hoa Binh and Ha Tinh, senior and junior high school students will return to school after March 1 and 8 respectively, while students at other levels will stay home until after March 15.

In most other provinces, junior and senior high schools will re-open on March 2, while elementary schools and kindergartens will remain close until after March 8.

The localities’ announcements came after the Ministry of Education and Training on February 27 gave out its recommendation on the schools’ reopening dates as parents stayed on high alert over the worsening outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide.

Accordingly, the ministry proposed the People’s Committees of 63 provinces and centrally-run 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 outbreak is getting very complicated but we can’t sit still waiting till the outbreak is over and let the students go back to school,” Education Minister Phung Xuan Nha said in a Government’s meeting this week.

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 Vietnam. 

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

The Government and the Ministry of Education and Training was under great pressure for the last week to reopen schools as all 16 patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vietnam fully recovered with the last one discharged from the hospital on February 25.

No new cases were reported for the last 16 days.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) on February 28 sent notices to the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the People’s Committees of all municipalities asking them to strengthen health precautionary measures at schools and dormitories.

The MoH demanded all schools and dormitories be disinfected thoroughly before students return to schools.

VNA

Other News

Vietnam moves to adapt to rapid population ageing, expand silver economy

Vietnam moves to adapt to rapid population ageing, expand silver economy

The International Day of Older Persons 2026, themed “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives,” highlights the need to develop healthcare, social security, labour-market and social-service systems in response to increasing life expectancy. For Vietnam, rapid population ageing is not only a demographic issue but also a development challenge.

Vietnamese, Lao localities bolster Front cooperation

Vietnamese, Lao localities bolster Front cooperation

Both sides agreed to keep educating officials, Party members, youth union groups and the broader public, especially young people in both provinces, on the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos.

Urgent rescue launched for Merchant Mariner off Quang Ngai

Urgent rescue launched for Merchant Mariner off Quang Ngai

The captain discovered water entering ballast tanks No. 4, 5 and 6 on the port side, causing the vessel to list slightly. Initial assessments indicated that the vessel may have struck an underwater rock formation while underway.

Publishing copyright caught in crossfire of piracy, AI

Publishing copyright caught in crossfire of piracy, AI

Publishing copyright is entering an entirely new phase. As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating text, summarising books, mimicking writing styles and producing content at enormous speed, ensuring copyright protection is becoming more difficult.

Heavy rains cause widespread damage in Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa

Heavy rains cause widespread damage in Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa

Prolonged heavy rains from September 13–17 have caused flooding and landslides, damaging homes, crops, roads and infrastructure in Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa provinces, with local authorities mobilising forces for emergency response.

Quang Ninh police bust 38.4 million USD transnational cybercrime ring

Quang Ninh police bust 38.4 million USD transnational cybercrime ring

Quang Ninh city's Public Security Department warned individuals, agencies and businesses not to publicly disclose or provide personal information or bank account details on social media, and urged organisations and businesses to strictly comply with regulations on protecting customers’ personal data.

Search area expanded to recover more martyrs' remains in Quang Tri

Search area expanded to recover more martyrs' remains in Quang Tri

The continued recovery of martyrs’ remains provides valuable information and further evidence of those who fought and sacrificed their lives for national independence and freedom. It also encourages search teams to persist in locating fallen soldiers still lying on former battlefields, contributing to the effective implementation of the 500-day campaign and reflecting Vietnam’s long-standing tradition of gratitude.

Vietnam to screen students nationwide for five health risks from 2028

Vietnam to screen students nationwide for five health risks from 2028

Vietnam will launch nationwide screening for five groups of school-related diseases and health conditions among students from preschool through high school from 2028, including overweight and obesity, refractive errors, spinal curvature, oral diseases and mental health disorders.