The Education Bureau announced today the latest arrangements for face-to-face classes, including the suspension of vaccination requirements to be implemented in secondary schools from November 1.

Individual primary schools meeting the required vaccination rate may apply for whole-day face-to-face classes starting from December 1, the bureau said.

For secondary schools, under the current arrangement, 90% or more of the total number of the whole school's students or an individual class level eligible to receive vaccination who have received two vaccine doses for more than 14 days may apply for whole-day face-to-face classes. This arrangement will continue until January 31, 2023.

For individual secondary schools planning to resume face-to-face classes for the entire school or individual class levels on or after February 1, 2023, students who have received three vaccine doses must reach 90% or above of the total number of the whole school's students or an individual class level eligible to receive vaccination.

As regards primary schools, starting from December 1, if 70% or more of the total number of the entire school's students or an individual class level eligible to receive vaccination have received two vaccine doses for more than 14 days, the schools may apply for resumption of whole-day face-to-face classes for the entire school or individual class levels.

The Education Bureau will take into account the school's actual circumstances in allowing them to resume whole-day face-to-face classes for the whole school or individual class levels.

From today, primary students who have received two vaccine doses for more than 14 days may be arranged to stay at school for the other half-day for non-academic extracurricular activities. They may also participate in some mask-off in-class and after-class activities at school.

The vaccination requirements for secondary students to participate in extracurricular activities will remain unchanged, ie they must have received three vaccine doses.

Secondary and primary students unfit for vaccination with medical proof or students who have previously been infected with COVID-19 which renders them unable to be vaccinated can be exempted from the relevant jab requirements.

The daily Rapid Antigen Test arrangements will continue until further notice. The bureau will continue to render assistance to students with financial needs.