Schools that do not meet necessary requirements for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control are not allowed to open for the new semester, the Ministry of Education said on Friday.

Local education authorities should evaluate the epidemic containment efforts of each school and those that fail evaluation cannot start the new semester, the ministry said.

Schools in areas classified as having medium or high risk of COVID-19 outbreaks should delay the start of the upcoming autumn semester, and students and teachers who have traveled to those regions should delay returning.

University teachers and students should have a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours before returning to school, and schools are required to verify the health conditions and travel history of faculty and students 14 days before returning to school, the ministry said.

He Qinghua, an official with the National Health Commission, said eligible school faculties and students older than 12 are encouraged to get COVID-19 vaccination.

They should still take necessary personal protective measures after the vaccination, he said at a news conference.

Wang Dengfeng, an official with the Ministry of Education, said some local authorities have made COVID-19 vaccination of students and their guardians a prerequisite for students to return, and the ministry has ordered localities to stop such practices.

Vaccination should be based upon informed consent from students as well as their parents and guardians, and it is not allowed to use vaccination as a requirement for students returning to school, he said.