BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese expert Tuesday urged schools in low-risk areas to take necessary measures for epidemic prevention after they reopen, mainly monitoring body temperatures and symptoms of students and teachers.

Detections of abnormal body temperatures and symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) should be reported to health authorities immediately, said Wu Zunyou, a researcher with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at a press conference.

However, the risk of students and teachers in these areas getting infected with the virus is very low given that there is no virus in the environment, and they have been quarantined at home for a long time, Wu added.