Children in China begin to head back to school as lockdown restrictions ease

Some positive news.

China has been in lockdown for months since the outbreak of COVID-19, but now it seems the end may be in sight. Gradually the Chinese government have been easing restrictions, most recently to allow children to go back to school. While only a small step right now, it's a step in the right direction for those living in China hoping to get back to normality. According to AFP children from two cities in China, Shanghai and Beijing, returned to school on Monday after more than three months in quarantine. China has been one of the countries worse affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, so seeing the country get back to it regular routine is a glimmer of hope for other countries, including Ireland, that still remain on lockdown. Recently Minister Simon Harris suggested that Irish schools might open during the summer for one day a week but as yet nothing has been confirmed. Leaving Cert students will however still be taking their exams this July. According to China's Ministry of Education precautions around coronavirus have not ceased even though students are returning to school. Students must have their temperatures checked at school gates and show "green" health codes on an app that calculates a person's infection risk. We could see preventative measures like this across the globe when businesses and schools reopen as concern about the virus will still remain high until a vaccine is discovered. In the mean time it's great to see good news coming out of China and hopefully we'll see much more good news in other countries in the coming months.