Student confirmed as asymptomatic to take gaokao in hospital

A 17-year-old student, who was confirmed to be an asymptomatic COVID-19 carrier in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, will take the national college entrance examination in an isolated ward in a local hospital.

"The student is in good condition, actively preparing for the examination," said Lei Chunliang, director of the Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital.

According to Lei, doctors and nurses will be specially arranged to accompany the student during the examination, or gaokao, which will take place on June 6.

"We have communicated fully with the educational authorities, with monitoring equipment in the isolated ward already being installed," he said.

The special examination process is being optimized, aiming to ensure that it meets the standard requirements of the national college entrance examination, according to Lei.

The papers will be fully disinfected after the student finishes the examination, according to Lei.

"The examination is of great importance to the student and his family. We will spare no efforts to ensure a smooth run during the examination," he said.

Authorities in Guangdong will introduce the strictest control and prevention measures against the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe run for the examination, said Jing Lihu, during an early news conference on Wednesday.

"All students' health will be closely monitored 14 days before they attend the examination and they will be covered by nucleic acid tests seven days ahead of the examination," Jing said.

Guangdong has 636,000 students who are going to attend this year's summer college entrance examination, with nearly 80,000 staff to administer the test.

Guangzhou, which confirmed six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday, has set up 56 examination sites for 549,000 students, with each including more than three alternate examination sites.

At least one of the alternative examination sites will be used as an isolated exam site, according to Wang Dong, vice-mayor of Guangzhou.

The city has also set up over 20 isolated exam sites with more than 7,000 exam staff members for those close contacts or contacts of close contacts of COVID-19 patients.