BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Schools in China have been urged to take preventive measures on COVID-19 as they gradually reopen.

Schools should make targeted plans for epidemic prevention and control and emergency response and ensure that these measures are well implemented, said Feng Luzhao, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at a press conference in Beijing.

Education departments and schools should also make sound communication with health authorities and nearby medical institutions to form mechanisms of coordination, Feng said.

Schools should also step up monitoring the health conditions of teachers and students such as their body temperatures, he said, adding that those who are sick must be prohibited from going to school.

The density of personnel should also be strictly controlled in schools to keep a safe social distance, Feng added. Enditem