Schools 'could Reopen As Soon As Mid-September'

School principals say officials have told them that classes could resume from as soon as the middle of next month if the coronavirus situation allows.

Principals who attended a meeting with the Education Secretary, Kevin Yeung, on Thursday say the Education Bureau is leaning towards allowing schools to reopen in phases.

Halina Poon, the chairwoman of the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council, quoted officials as saying that classes would not resume before September 14, and schools would be given two or three weeks' notice to prepare.

The bureau is understood to want to open primary and secondary schools at the same time, but with pupils in different years attending at different times.

Pupils are expected to attend class for only half the day initially. Other issues to be discussed include whether next year's public exams will need to be delayed.

Schooling has been disrupted throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with schools remaining closed from the Lunar New Year Holiday in January until late May.

They were forced to close early for the summer holidays last month due to a spike in coronavirus cases.

The discussions on school reopening come amid moves to ease strict social distancing measures put in place in July to stem a third wave of coronavirus cases.

From Friday, restaurants will be able to serve dine-in customers until 9pm instead of 6pm, while cinemas and beauty parlours will be allowed to reopen.

Compulsory mask-wearing will be waived for people doing heavy exercise or in country parks. Masks will still be compulsory indoors and in most outdoor spaces.

Beaches, massage parlours, swimming pools, mahjong rooms and bars will still be closed.