Schools in Shanghai have resumed in-person teaching after six months of online classes due to citywide COVID lockdowns.

All elementary and junior high schools in Shanghai resumed in-person classes on Thursday as they started the new semester. They had been held online since mid-March as the city grappled with the coronavirus.

Children at the Japanese school in Shanghai were delighted to be reunited with their classmates and teachers.

Under the city's rules, school children have to take PCR tests every day. The Japanese school officials say that all children and teachers will be tested on-site.

A third-grader told an NHK reporter that she is happy to be able to see her friends and teachers again. She said she's looking forward to playing tag with her classmates.

Her father said that while the resumption of in-person classes is certainly a step forward, the city still has strict anti-COVID measures in place.

China is maintaining its zero-COVID policy, and lockdowns continue in cities where new cases have been reported. People entering China have to quarantine for a certain period. Those who use public transport are required to show negative test results.