Students queue up for temperature checks before entering campus in Taizhou on April 13. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

Students in grades 9 and 12 returned to school in Taizhou on April 13 after the longest winter break in history. 

They are the first to welcome the new semester, as they have to prepare for university and senior high school entrance exams. 

Students in other grades will follow in the coming two weeks. 

Local education authorities have taken a number of measures to ensure the safety of students and teachers amid the epidemic.

Each school in the city has been equipped with an infrared thermal imaging thermometer, and students are required to show green health QR codes every day, which indicate they have little possibility of being infected with the disease. 

Zhang Qian, a teacher from Taizhou Experimental School affiliated with Beijing Normal University, said that in the past, two students would share one desk, but now there is one desk per student, and they are seated more than one meter apart. 

Jiaojiang No 2 Middle School has installed smart fresh air equipment for all grade 9 classes, so that students can breathe in fresh air without opening the window. 

Luqiao Middle School, a provincial level key middle school, has a total of 787 grade 12 students. 

In order to ensure their safety, the school has opened additional entrances and asked students to enter at different times according to their class numbers.

From 8:00 to 9:30, students in classes 1 to 8 will attend school, while students in classes 10 to 18 will attend from 9:30 to 11:00. 

Students in classes 1-9 are being asked to enter the school via the east gate, while those in classes 10 and above will enter through to south gate.

Some schools have also taken measures to help students better protect themselves amid the epidemic and help them better focus on preparing for university and senior high school entrance exams.