Beijing has surpassed the milestone of zero new cases for 14 days for the first time since the exposure to the novel coronavirus in the Xinfadi market caused a second COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, officials have reduced the city’s risk status to level three.
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, we, as young people, must take advantage of our time and energy by stepping forward and providing for those who have provided for us all our lives.
Getting tested for COVID-19 isn’t as bad as you think. At the outset of Beijing’s second wave in mid-June, there were a number of videos and photos making the rounds on social media that showed hordes of people standing in haphazard, nebulous lines waiting to get tested.
In this issue of beijingkids we tackle the difficulties of traveling with a toddler as Julie Wolf shares her tips on how to plan a trip with kids as well as easy ways to keep them entertained.
We took an informal pool in expat groups of parents with school-aged children. Of the 240 parents who participated 66% said that they intend to re-enroll their children in their current school despite COVID-19 uncertainties and concerns of whether their school may be able to return to normal next semester.
This pandemic has done nothing but drive us apart, right? We’ve been confined to our houses and isolated from society. But it’s during these times of separation that a universal force truly brings us together: music. ‘Home’ From Home is a project initiated by the Jerusalem Youth Chorus in mid-March.
But ever since COVID-19 dining hasn’t been the same, especially here in China where food culture is all about sharing! Nowadays, whenever I go anywhere in Beijing there’s always a packet of tissues, disinfectant wet wipes, and some type of liquid hand sanitizer. COVID-19 has made us all suspicious of where one another has been and what germs are still lingering on surfaces.
Beijing’s second wave of infections is here and so is the ramping up of testing. As of Jun 17, all people leaving Beijing are required to provide proof of a negative nucleic acid test within seven days of travel, meaning that centers are likely to be clogged with people trying to leave the capital.
Over the past few months, we’ve covered news of schools officially making the announcement to switch to e-learning, SATs and IB exams being canceled, translated school re-opening regulations, provided overviews of education press conferences, shut down rumors surrounding the education community, and kept a running log of schools opening across all provinces in China.
Plans to send Grades 1 through 3 back to school this Monday (June 15) have been put on indefinite hold due to a reappearance of COVID-19 in Beijing, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission announced today. Also on hold are plans to reopen after-school training programs.