XINING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 144 senior high schools and secondary vocational schools reopened Monday in northwest China's Qinghai Province after a delay of spring semester due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The schools have adopted a string of protective measures, including strict and comprehensive approaches to sanitation and disinfection to ensure the safety and health of students and teachers.

The Qinghai Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology has allocated masks, medicinal alcohol and disinfectant to schools across the province.

Lessons about the epidemic prevention and emergency drills were among the school activities on the first day.

Yang Fayu, deputy head of Qinghai's education department, said the future infection spreading in Qinghai can be generally under control based on expert assessment.

By Sunday, Qinghai has reported 18 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. All of the patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Feb. 21. The province has reported no new confirmed cases for 32 consecutive days, according to the provincial health committee.

The emergency response of Qinghai was lowered from the third level to the fourth level, the lowest in a four-tier response system, on March 6.