Shanghai to gradually reopen schools in June as lockdown eases
Shanghai schoolchildren will gradually resume some in-person classes in June with daily Covid-19 tests, the local government said, as the Chinese metropolis gradually emerges from a lengthy lockdown that brought it to a standstill.
The country has been fighting its worst coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic, with the epicentre Shanghai banning its 25 million residents from leaving their homes for weeks.
Some of the city's restrictions have recently eased as cases dwindle, though much of the population is still not allowed to venture outside for more than a few hours a day at most.
Schools have been shut since March 12, weeks before the megacity's lockdown officially began.
Students in the last two years of high school -- who must prepare for the all-important college entrance examinations -- will return to their campuses on June 6, Shanghai education official Yang Zhenfeng said at a press conference on Thursday.
They will be joined a week later by students in the final grade of middle school, while all other students are to remain home and attend online classes, Yang said.
Shanghai's lockdown has taken a heavy toll on business and morale, pushing city authorities to allow some factories and public transport lines to resume operation in a patchy reopening.
Those who test positive for Covid -- even if they have no symptoms -- are sent to mass quarantine centres or isolation facilities.
