Nearly 23 million Vietnamese students officially began their 2020-21 academic year on Saturday, when schools across the country kickstarted the new school year amid the 'new normal' of implementing COVID-19 prevention and control rules.

Schools across 63 Vietnamese cities and provinces, except Da Nang — the country’s COVID-19 outbreak epicenter at the moment, held school opening ceremonies in a brief manner on Saturday morning.

The ceremonies were largely symbolic as students in some localities had already resumed school earlier this week.

Schools are tasked with actively building their own education plans so as to be prepared for every situation of pandemic developments and avoid interruptions to teaching activities.

A group of students takes a 'wefie' while attending the school opening ceremony at Phu Nhuan High School in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

It is estimated that Hanoi's nearly 2,800 schools will welcome more than 2.1 million students this school year, an increase of 68,000 students from the previous year.

The capital city said it has ensured that 100 percent of the local schools are well-prepared for COVID-19 prevention and control.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the municipal chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong attended the school opening ceremony at Mac Dinh Chi High School in District 6.

Ngoc Han, a tenth-grader representing students at Mac Dinh Chi High School, said that she hopes to not experience multiple interruptions from school as in the previous school year although she has prepared for changes in her study in the ‘new normal.’

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Nguyen Tat Thanh Middle and High School in Hanoi, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Vinh Ha / Tuoi Tre

A group of students takes a 'wefie' while attending the school opening ceremony at Le Quy Don High School in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile, Xuan Huy, an 11th-grader at Phu Nhuan High School in Phu Nhuan District, said he is happy to reunite with his friends in the new school year, which he feels more special due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Huy’s high school, only 700 students in the tenth grade and 20 representatives from 11th and 12th grades participated in the school opening ceremony on Saturday — instead of all of the school's 2,500 students — to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Likewise, in Quang Nam Province — which borders Da Nang City where hundreds of COVID-19 cases have been reported since July 25, only students in the first, sixth and tenth grades and some representatives of other grades attended Saturday's ceremony.

School opening ceremonies were not organized in Quang Nam’s six localities practicing enhanced social distancing, namely Hoi An City, Dien Ban Town, and the four districts of Duy Xuyen, Thang Binh, Que Son and Dai Loc.

Ho Chi Minh City chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong hits a drum during the school opening ceremony at Mac Dinh Chi High School in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Nguyen Binh Khiem High School in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Le Trung / Tuoi Tre

A student has her body temperature checked before attending the school opening ceremony at Mac Dinh Chi High School in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Officials, teachers and students attend the school opening ceremony at Phu Nhuan High School in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Vietnam's Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (left) presents a portrait of the late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh to the headmaster of Le Quy Don High School in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Phu Nhuan High School in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Two students wash their hands before attending the school opening ceremony at Phu Nhuan High School in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Nguyen Tat Thanh Middle & High School in Hanoi, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Vinh Ha / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Mac Dinh Chi High School in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Thoi Binh A Elementary School in Thoi Binh District, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Khanh Tran / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Minh Dao Elementary School in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Nhu Hung / Tuoi Tre

Students queue to have their body temperature checked before attending the school opening ceremony at Phu Nhuan High School in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Students queue to have their body temperature checked before attending the school opening ceremony at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Elementary School in Hanoi, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Students smile as they attend the school opening ceremony at Mac Dinh Chi High School in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Students attend the school opening ceremony at Thuy Phu 2 Elementary School in Huong Thuy District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam, September 5, 2020. Photo: Phuoc Tuan / Tuoi Tre

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