By Tuesday morning (February 16), 23 provinces and cities across Viet Nam have decided to halt resumption of in-person learning due on Wednesday after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday over community Covid-19 outbreaks.

Two siblings in Ha Noi attend online classes. — VNA/VNS Photo

Most opted to delay classes for about a week and students are expected return to schools next Monday in Binh Phuoc, Thanh Hoa, Ben Tre, Dien Bien, An Giang, Ha Nam, and Bac Ninh provinces, while many others – including Hai Phong City, Can Tho, Ninh Thuan, Dong Thap provinces – said schools are closed pending further notice.

Three localities where the outbreaks are more serious – Ha Noi, HCM City, and the Central Highlands Province of Kon Tum – have announced schools would not reopen until the end of February. Schools in Ha Noi and HCM City have been closed since February 1, a week ahead of the planned break for Tet, due to a fresh wave of local infections hitting the country since January 27, 2021.

The northern province of Hải Dương – the current epicentre of the country’s community infection wave with over 500 cases recorded since January 27, involving a more transmissible variant of the coronavirus first reported in the UK – is slated to resume classes after the 15-day ‘social distancing order’ effective from February 16 expires on March 3.

However, schools and universities/colleges are ordered to continue offering lessons online where applicable, in line with the curriculum.

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, also after the Tet holiday ended, in-person learning was halted for more than 22 million students across the country – from kindergarten to university/college level – for about two months until the national lockdown order was lifted at the end of April.

Source: VNS