Students in low-risk areas go mask free

Schools will continue measures for prevention and control to ensure safety

Students in areas with low risks of infection of the novel coronavirus are not required to wear masks at school as many local governments are stepping up efforts to reopen classrooms, according to a notice on Friday.

The notice, released by the National Health Commission and Ministry of Education, focuses on control and prevention of COVID-19 at kindergartens, elementary, junior and senior high schools.

The notice came after the death of a 15-year-old junior high student who collapsed and died when wearing a mask while running during a sports class in Dancheng county, Henan province, on April 24.

The student's father claimed that his son may have died because he was wearing a mask while running, though the cause was left unsettled, according to a report in Health Times.

In late April, some provinces and cities such as Hainan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xiamen launched guidelines saying that students don't need to wear masks during outdoor sports.

Friday's notice stressed that schools should also guide students to properly wear masks on campus, though students in low-risk areas are not required to wear them.

According to the notice, staff and students should report their health conditions and whereabouts in the last 14 days to the school before returning to campus. Also, schools are required to urge people with symptoms, including fever, fatigue, dry cough or diarrhea, to seek medical help.

Students and staff are not allowed to have lessons or give lectures when they have these symptoms, the notice said.

Schools are also required to limit population density and ensure social distancing.

Mass gatherings should be strictly controlled and any on-site meeting must have prior approval of the local education authorities, the notice said.

The notice said that schools are required to include knowledge of coronavirus and infectious diseases, and skills of how to protect themselves from these viruses should be included in lessons, helping students and staff to develop good sanitary habits.