After more than a month of Tet holidays and another month’s shutdown for Covid-19 prevention, DTU students returned to school on March 2 to start a new term. Despite concerns about the disease, which is not yet under control in many countries, people are less worried now that the sixteen previous patients in Vietnam have fully recovered already and been discharged from hospital.
During the student break, DTU staff and lecturers were working on:
- Producing live streams explaining the status of the disease, ways of preventing it and contacting students and their families to give advice and evaluate their situation.
- Learning about mobile software applications for use in online lecturing, in case of prolongation.
- Working with the medical staff to ensure classroom and auditorium hygiene.
- Preparing to supply antiseptic water and antibacterial soap.
- Acquiring body temperature scanners and monitors, in preparation for the March 2nd return.
Here are some photos of DTU lecturers and students returning to the university:
Medical staff take everyone’s temperature at the entrance
Head of DTU Student Affairs, MSc Nguyen Thoi, personally takes temperatures
“The Board of Provosts instructed the administrative staff on how to ensure hygienic conditions at all the university campuses. This involved antibacterial hand washing, the wearing of surgical masks and the use of thermometers,” explained MSc Nguyen Thoi. “On March 1st, the DTU Union also organized a “Green Sunday”, providing important information on how to prevent further Covid-19 infection by disinfecting and clearing up trash in the proximity of the campuses.”
DTU students diligently washing their hands with antibacterial soap and water
Students return to school after the long break
“We follow news of the disease while researching prevention methods,” said Hospitality & Tourism student Bach Ngoc Thuy Lien (in black shirt). “I felt completely at ease on my first day back after the long break. I had my temperature taken when I arrived and was reminded to wear a mask and wash my hands, as the furniture in the classrooms had all been sanitized.”
DTU staff and students were also asked to fill out a convenient online medical declaration to check on their health and whereabouts during the break.
Business Administration On-Site Study-Abroad student Micah Gwyneth Apostol, (orange shirt), said, “The disease is spreading widely, with no end in sight. Vietnam, however, has done an excellent job at fighting the disease, so I’m not too worried about going back to my studies. If the break had been any longer, it would have seriously impacted our studies, so, personally, I wanted to go back. DTU asked us all to fill out medical declaration forms on the myDTU portal, demonstrating its concerns on protecting in guaranteeing the health of students, making it easier for us to return.”
MSc Nguyen Tan Huy, a lecturer from Natural Sciences, explained “I spent the first five minutes in the classroom instructing my students on personal hygiene, correct use of masks, regular hand washing, limiting contact with metal surfaces and advised them to also comply with all advice from the Ministry of Health. The university prepared a prevention plan to give students and their parents peace of mind as their children came back and, despite the long break, attendance was still high. Although students were initially worried about the complexities of Covid-19, they became more relaxed and happy when they met all their school-friends again.”
(Media Center)