China reopens schools despite fear of second wave of coronavirus

Chinese schools have been re-opened amid rising concerns of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

While the entire world is contemplating an extension to the current global lockdown, students in Beijing and Shanghaihave returned to their classroomsfor the first time in nearly 3 months.

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The surprising decision has come at a time when leading virus experts have predicted that the fear of a second deadly wave of Covid-19 islooming upon China after a new epicenter has been located in the north-eastern city of Harbin.

However, authorities claim that the decision has been made after making stringent safety pre-cautions.

Police cars patrolled the area near Beijing's Chenjinglun High School.

Disinfectant was sprayed around the school gates and the students arrived covered in face masks. Even before they could enter the school premises they had to get their temperatures checked and show a green health code on a special app that calculates infection risk.

The students armed who came to school took somepre-cautionary measures as well.

According to Mandarin student Hang Hongcheng, hetook some masks, some ethanol for disinfection, chopsticks, spoons and gloves.

And because hegoes to school by public transport, heworegloves toreduce the risk of public transmission.'

While, both middle and high schools were re-opened inShanghai,only high-school seniors were allowed to return to campus in capital Beijing because they have to takeuniversity entrance exams calledGaokao.

Although these exams have been postponed till July but students are still under immense pressure to clear them.

And the virus has acted as an impediment in their path and has taken a toll on these young minds as it has wasted their precious time.

The original epicenter of the virus, Wuhanwill also re-open its schools from the first week of May.

However, this by no means indicates thatall is well in China. The reality is far from it.

Just as authorities got a hold of the old hotspots andmanaged to keep a check on the coronavirus cases in these areas, new hotspots have emerged in the country.

Harbin, acity located in north-east China has been identified as the new epicentre.

It is the capital of the Heilongjiang province which ishome to over 10 million people.

While the province has reported over 500 confirmed cases, Harbin city alone has recorded over 50 confirmed cases.

It has been put under a lockdown with inbound traffic completely cut off.

Interestingly, three of the seven of thenew confirmed cases were infected by travellers from Russia.

Harbinhas airlinks with Russia and local authorities are scrambling to clamp down on the cross-border return of the virus.

All those arriving from abroad have been have been ordered a mandatory 28-day quarantine and they have to go through twonucleic acid tests and an anti-body test.