More in-person classes reopen in Vietnamese capital

HANOI, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Monday resumed more on-site classes for senior high school students in its suburban districts with low COVID-19 risk.

According to the latest direction from Hanoi authorities, all communes of its 16 suburban districts and a township can open classes from Monday for only ninth grade students, the high school seniors. The localities chosen for school resumption are those clear of new COVID-19 infection in the past two weeks and classified at low or medium transmission risk.

Students from other grades will still have to learn online and kindergartens remain closed.

The order also specified that strict anti-COVID-19 measures must be applied for the reopening of schools. For instance, students will have only one session a day at school while teachers who haven't been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will teach online only.

Earlier on Nov. 8, the suburban district of Ba Vi was the first in Hanoi to allow its ninth graders to have in-person learning after six months of shutdowns. Students in 12 urban districts of the capital city still have online lessons.

Hanoi has about 3,000 schools with more than 2 million students across 30 districts and one township, according to local media Vietnam News. The capital is stepping up vaccination for children aged 12-17 and working on a plan to get them back to school.