The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City decided on Sunday that kindergarteners and school students will stay home for one more week to prevent the possible spread of the novel coronavirus.

The city’s K-12 students were slated to get back to school on February 3 after the Lunar New Year festival, which ends on Sunday.

But they are now allowed to stay home until the end of February 9.

All kindergarteners and school students are required to resume their study on February 10, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

School students in Can Tho, Hau Giang, Vinh Long, Hai Phong, Long An, and more have also been asked to stay home amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Vietnam.

Over 60 universities in the Southeast Asian country have requested their students to take a similar week off.

Over 300 people have been killed and almost 15,000 have been infected around the world since the first outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

Vietnam has confirmed seven infections so far, including four Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese.

One of the Chinese has been cured.

The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern.

The virus can spread through close contact or airborne droplets, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Health.

Medical experts have advised the general population to avoid crowds; close interaction with those having a fever or coughing; and touching the eyes, nose, and mouth.

People are encouraged to properly wear face masks and frequently wash their hands with soap and clean water to stay safe.

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