The World Health Organization declared an international emergency regarding the spread of coronavirus. On Friday, the Ministry of Education and Training said it was thinking about shutting down all schools, universities and colleges to ensure the safety of citizens from the spread of the virus, Vietnam News reported.
Already, many universities in Hanoi and HCMC are closed until Feb. 9 due to fears about the virus spreading. Among them are Hanoi University of Sciences and Technology and University of Mining and Geology.
In schools in Hanoi, protective measures have been implemented. The deputy principal of Maya Kindergarten in Long Bien District, Nguyen Huong Ly, said they regularly sterilize the school, and told parents and students to wash their hands before coming to campus. The air conditioner is put on at 25 degrees Celsius and they will allow any students showing signs of infection on campus.
She added: “Many parents have let their children stay home, waiting for the epidemic to be over.”
Five cases of coronavirus have been reported in Vietnam as of 11 a.m. on Friday. There are no cases of person-to-person transmission as all the cases so far have been due to contact with people outside of Vietnam. Vietnam has not declared a coronavirus outbreak.
The former director of the Preventative Health Department Tran Dac Phu said “Due to the current situation, we have not recommended the education sector to allow students to stay at home.”
