Examinees prepare for the exams outside an exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. The college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, in Shanghai started Thursday this year. The Shanghai Municipal government has postponed Gaokao of this city for a month due to the latest resurgence of COVID-19 infections. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

SHANGHAI, July 7 (Xinhua) — Around 50,000 candidates in Shanghai sat for the college entrance exam, or gaokao, on Thursday, one month later than their peers in other parts of China due to a local COVID-19 resurgence this spring.

The annual national exam normally kicks off on June 7, but Shanghai announced the decision to postpone it to July 7-9 in May, as the city was battling local COVID-19 flareups.

All candidates had been tested for COVID-19 twice over the past three days. Those who are currently under quarantine, or are found with a fever before entering the examination centers, among other unusual circumstances, shall take the exam in prearranged isolated rooms, according to the municipal education authorities.

Candidates are required to take the nucleic acid test on Thursday and Friday at the exam site, and they shall undergo another round of testing on Saturday back in their residential community after the exam is over.

Shanghai reported 32 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 22 local asymptomatic carriers on Wednesday, the municipal health commission said Thursday. 

Examinees walk out of an exam site at Shixi High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Chen Fei]

A teacher of Shanghai Nanyang High School talks to her student before the examinee enters the exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

A woman brings flowers to her daughter who walks out of an exam site at Shixi High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Chen Fei]

Parents wait outside an exam site at No. 54 High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Jin Liwang]

Examinees walk out of an exam site at Xuhui High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Ding Ting]

A police officer directs traffic outside an exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

A teacher cheers for her students before the examinees enter the exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

Examinees line up to enter an exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

A woman wearing a mask reading "Jin Bang Ti Ming" in Chinese, which means successfully passing the examination, is seen outside the exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

Examinees walk out of an exam site at Shixi High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Chen Fei]

Examinees enter an exam site at Nanyang Model High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Ying]

Examinees walk out of an exam site at Xuhui High School in east China's Shanghai, July 7, 2022. [Xinhua/Ding Ting]

(Source: Xinhua)