Beijing reports four newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and 10 silent coronavirus carriers on Friday. Photo:VCG

In press conference on Tuesday a Beijing official stressed the importance of involved local schools in the ongoing outbreaks, saying they are vital spots in the epidemic prevention and control work. 

Tian Wei, director of the Beijing government publicity department at the press conference called for fast epidemiological investigation into epidemic-related schools.  

Classmates are used to being in the same class, on the same floor, canteen and dormitory, so students should be taken as high-risk group and be put under medical observation, Tian said.

Tian also noted that these schools should organize online lessons for students, especially those students who are to graduate this year. Psychological counseling should also be arranged for students, Tian said. 

Beijing had discovered 108 confirmed COVID-19 patients and one asymptomatic virus carrier as of Monday, during the recent flare-ups with Chaoyang district reporting the first cases. 

Among the new patients discovered on Monday, five are students, making the total number of students infected in the latest outbreak reach 26, according to media reports.

Beijing authorities said they had kicked off mass nucleic acid tests in 12 districts since Monday evening.

On Tuesday afternoon, many schools in the Haidian district said they would stop providing services from training agencies inside or outside the schools and employees from outside training agencies would be banned from entering the schools.   

A Beijing community in Haidian district issued a notice on the same  requiring residents who had visited or worked in two local schools to stay at home for 14 days amid flare-ups in the capital.

The notice, issued by the Xigema community, stressed that several COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in Beijing recently, involving a few transmission chains and leading to high risk of continuing undetected transmissions. The situation is urgent and severe, read the notice.  

The notice requires residents who worked, studied in or visited the elementary school within the High School Affiliated with the Renmin University of China on April 24 and 25, as well as those who worked, studied in or visited the Shuangyushu central elementary from April 22 to 25, to report themselves to the community, except those already identified as close contacts of confirmed cases.

These people should also take home-quarantine for 14 days plus seven-day health monitoring after that.

Global Times