All students, faculty and campus staffers of the city’s public kindergartens, primary and secondary schools have been required to return to Shenzhen 14 days prior to the start of the fall semester, which will kick off Sept. 1, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

Grade 12 students have begun the new school term Aug. 10, the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau said Monday.

Those returning from outside Guangdong Province should take a nucleic acid test within 48 hours of their arrivals. Those who cannot return 14 days before the term starts will have their cases reported to the district’s health authority to decide their appropriate return dates.

Schools are required to follow up health situations as well as travel records of all its students, teachers and staffers in the 14 days before Sept. 1 and are urged to encourage them to reduce gatherings and outdoor activities after returning to the city.

Those who are in the country’s medium- and high-risk areas should delay return to their respective schools until the areas’ COVID-19 risk levels are declared low.

Schools will be implementing a closed-loop management system after the new semester starts. Unauthorized personnel will not be allowed to enter campuses and package deliveries will be contactless.

Masks are still mandatory but students and teachers can take them off inside the campus.