Hong Kong third wave: education officials to look at mass Covid-19 testing for schools, priority return of face-to-face teaching for some students
- Education minister says new starters and those taking their university entrance exams could be allowed to return to school first
- Government to consider including schools in mass Covid-19 screening programme, Kevin Yeung says
Hong Kong’s education minister said on Tuesday the government would consider conducting mass Covid-19 screening for schools and was looking at prioritising the resumption of face-to-face classes for students taking their university entrance exams, as well as new starters.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said pupils coming into their first and final years of primary and secondary education could be allowed to return to school grounds first, after announcing on Monday the decision to extend the suspension of face-to-face teaching until further notice.
“The Food and Health Bureau and the Centre for Health Protection have been considering as a whole when mass testing takes place, what would be the respective arrangements, and which groups of residents would be covered,” Yeung told a radio programme.
“We will take that into consideration. If the testing is so large-scale, for example, it can help a majority of Hongkongers or can cover specific people, then we will look at the situation and see if something extra could be done for schools. We will look at the development before making a decision.”