Just weeks after reopening, Beijing schools have been ordered to shut immediately as the city tackles a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
READ MORE: Everything We Know About Beijing’s New COVID-19 Outbreak So Far
On Tuesday evening, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission announced that effective June 17, all primary and secondary schools, universities and kindergartens in the capital must close. The statement also ordered the cancellation of on-campus events, such as graduations and training courses. Primary and secondary schools will be required to resume online learning in the meantime.
Educators are also keeping a close eye on gaokao updates, as it’s unclear how Tuesday’s announcement impacts the testing schedule. High school seniors are set to take the annual college entrance exam on July 7, while high school entrance exams for 9th graders will take place on July 17. No word yet on whether the tests will be postponed again.
READ MORE: China’s ‘Gaokao’ College Entrance Exam Delayed One Month
The news comes as new cases of the novel coronavirus in Beijing have risen to 106 since June 11. The city has taken aggressive measures to keep infections under control, including locking down districts surrounding a wholesale market suspected to be the source of the new wave and raising the citywide emergency response to Level 2.
Meanwhile, several provinces and municipalities around China have begun enforcing stricter screening measures for travelers arriving from Beijing.
READ MORE: New Quarantine Measures For Beijing Travelers
[Cover image via Pexels]
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