TOKYO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Some schools in Japan held scaled down, low-key graduation ceremonies on Tuesday, with proceedings shortened and participants limited amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19 here.
March is the last month of the academic year and despite the education ministry on February 28 requesting all schools to close down until at least the spring break, which usually ends in early April, some opted to hold graduation ceremonies as per tradition.
The ceremonies, however, were unconventional in many cases, amid concerns over the spread of the virus, with some schools holding ceremonies lasting just 20-minutes and others ensuring that those in attendance remained at least one meter apart.
Other schools' ceremonies mandated that only one parent or guardian be in attendance per child graduating, and in some cases the graduation speeches were written on paper and handed out to participants to be read rather than being spoken, as all participants including the speakers were wearing surgical masks, local media reports said.
On Monday, some schools in Japan reopened for lessons after being shut for around two weeks after the education ministry requested schools be closed to contain the spread of the virus.
Education boards of Toyama, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu and Naha cities as well as Okinawa Prefecture decided to resume classes at their elementary and junior high schools, as they have judged the virus has not affected their communities, local media reported Monday.
Japan's health ministry and local governments said Tuesday the number of COVID-19 infections rose to 837 in Japan as of 6:30 p.m. local time here, with the death toll in Japan from the virus currently standing at a total of 36, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
The latest statistics also showed a total of 16 new cases confirmed.
Of the schools that reopened Monday, some of them took what they deemed to be precautionary measures against the transmission of the virus, such as keeping classrooms well ventilated and keeping pupils' desks apart from each other.
According to a local media survey, of the 18 education boards that were planning to reopen on Monday, 13 of them decided to extend the closure until spring break in early April.
The majority of regional education boards, meanwhile, announced after the education ministry requested the closure of schools across the country that they would not reopen until at least the spring break.
