HCMC - The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau and the northern province of Thai Binh this morning, April 20, allowed students to return to school after the extended school break due to the coronavirus pandemic, making them the first two localities nationwide to reopen schools.

In Ca Mau Province, before entering classes, students were instructed to wear face masks and wash their hands by their teachers, Tuoi Tre Online reported. The provincial government assigned the Department of Education and Training to divide classes into smaller ones in terms of the number per class, increase the number of teachers and ask students’ parents to practice social distancing strictly while waiting for and picking up their children to ensure the safety of the students. Earlier on April 15, the provincial government issued a directive on further Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures attached to socioeconomic development. In the education sector, the province allowed the ninth and twelfth graders to return to school from April 20. Under the directive, the remaining school levels, universities and vocational centers remain closed. Meanwhile, Thai Binh Province also allowed high-school students to resume classes today, April 20.