Chinese students begin full return to school

Chinese students on Tuesday began a full return to regular classes following two weeks without new cases of local transmission in the country.

About 75% of students had already returned to school and the remainder will return beginning from Tuesday.

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Reports said students had their temperatures checked on arrival but rules on social distancing and mask wearing varied depending on the region.

Çhina’s National Health Commission reported 10 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, all of them brought from outside the country. China has reported a total of 4,634 deaths from COVID-19 among 85,058 cases since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

A staff member (left) checks the body temperature of a student arriving at school in Nanjing, China. AFP

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, says Labor Day weekend will be key in determining whether the US gets a "running start” at containing the coronavirus this fall.

Fauci said Monday he has a "great deal of faith in the American people” to wash their hands, practice social distancing, wear masks, avoid crowds, and congregate outside during the weekend celebrations. He said it’s important to avoid a surge in coronavirus cases like those seen after the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays.

He made the comments on a White House conference call with governors, the audio of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Vice President Mike Pence said he shared Fauci’s confidence in the American people to celebrate the holiday responsibly.