Ha Noi halts school reopening plan for grades 1-6 amid spike in COVID-19 cases

The move was made as the capital city reported a significant surge in daily new COVID-19 infections over the past days.

Earlier the municipal authorities had planned to reopen schools for students in grades 1-6 in inner districts of Hoang Mai, Long Bien, Thanh Xuan, Bac Tu Liem, Ba Dinh, Cau Giay, Dong Da, Ha Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Ha Dong, Tay Ho and Nam Tu Liem.

Ha Noi permitted 9th graders to return to school last November, and two weeks later, 12th graders got the go ahead.

Students from 7th to 11th grades were allowed to go back to school on February 8 and they were followed soon after by primary school and 6th grade students in schools on the city's outskirts.

The city also allowed kindergarteners to return to school in March, but whether this will happen as scheduled remains to be seen.

Ha Noi recorded 188,807 COVID-19 infections, including 4,549 cases on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health./.