(TibetanReview.net, Mar04’20) – Although China has declared Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to be free of the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, it still considers the region to be prone to the infection’s spread and has postponed the opening of its schools for the spring semester. Like in China, some students stuck at home were beginning to receive instruction online, reported the Tibetan Service of rfa.org Mar 3.
The report said the education department of Tibet’s capital Lhasa had announced Mar 1 that the new term will now begin at the end of March. The report also cited Chinese authorities as saying at a press conference on the same day, however, that a firm date for classes to resume after winter break had not been set.
“The date of the schools’ reopening will be determined at a later date only after further assessing the control and containment of the coronavirus outbreak,” officials were quoted as telling reporters.
The report said students returning from China and other Tibetan regions of the People’s Republic of China were being checked for signs of exposure to the Covid-19 epidemic infection and kept in medical isolation for 14 days.