Hanoi high schools may reopen early December

Dinh Tien Dung, secretary of Hanoi Party Committee, said high-schoolers, along with those studying in vocational and continuing education facilities, would be the next groups to return to school, after 9th graders in suburban areas.

Students in districts and towns with low or medium coronavirus risks, which have recorded no community transmission cases within 14 days by Nov. 30, would be allowed to return to school. The return date is expected to be Dec. 6, Dung said.

So far, over 36,000 students in Hanoi have returned to school safely, with no cases detected within schools. Since Nov. 23, Hanoi has begun vaccinating children aged 15-17.

The coronavirus situation in the capital is still progressing, with multiple outbreaks observed and new cases recorded daily. Many hotspots were detected in areas with high population density, like apartment complexes and industrial parks.

"Bringing students back to school in this situation must be done with careful preparation," said Dung, adding vaccination for children aged 12-15 must continue and a plan for secondary school students to return to class must be formulated as soon as possible.