Coronavirus Hong Kong: 14 students and 1 teacher unable to return to class after testing positive as schools welcome back children after 3-month suspension

Students from more than 110 schools among first in city to finally head back to campus

Under new arrangements, local schools or individual classes can hold full-day lessons if 90 per cent of students have received two doses of vaccine

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Primary and international schools in Hong Kong finally opened their doors to students on Tuesday morning after a three-month suspension. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 10:07am, 19 Apr 2022Updated: 12:03am, 20 Apr 2022

Fourteen students and one teacher could not return to school after they tested positive for Covid-19 when in-person classes resumed for some grades in Hong Kong on Tuesday following a three-month suspension sparked by the fifth wave of infections.

Students from 65 international schools and 52 local primary schools returned to campus in the morning, many bubbling with excitement, and principals reported that the first day back went largely smoothly, apart from a few instances where some students forgot to carry out mandatory rapid antigen tests (RAT).

But two pupils from two primary schools and 12 students from an international one returned positive results, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP). One teacher from an international school also tested positive and could not return to work. They were among 600 infections reported on Tuesday, the fifth straight day where cases were below the 1,000 mark, along with 17 Covid-19 related deaths.

Primary school pupils return to classes at Fung Kai Liu Yun Sum Memorial School in Fanling. Photo: Jelly Tse

CHP controller Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin said authorities believed the students were infected either in the community or at home because they tested positive before returning to school.

“If there is indeed a school outbreak, we will look at the source of infection, what can be improved, such as ventilation, and how to strengthen infection control,” he said. “If there is a major outbreak, then some classes may need to be suspended but it will be assessed on a case-by-case situation.”

Among the roughly 100 primary students who returned to half-day classes at Tsuen Wan Trade Association Primary School, 10 failed to submit their negative test results proof with their parents’ signatures, while two others needed to undergo screening at the campus because they did not do it at home, according to principal Chow Kim-ho.

“I did not know that I needed to undergo a daily test,” one student told the media. “I think there was a reminder [from school], but I didn’t check it.”