This Nov 5, 2020 file photo shows a group of students walk along a road in Beijing. (WANG ZHAO / AFP)

BEIJING - China has rolled out arrangements to keep colleges and universities on alert against COVID-19 during the upcoming winter holiday.

Institutions of higher education nationwide should adjust their winter vacations in accordance with local COVID-19 situations and arrange for students to leave schools in batches in an orderly manner, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Education.

Institutions of higher education nationwide should adjust their winter vacations in accordance with local COVID-19 situations and arrange for students to leave schools in batches in an orderly manner, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Education

It required colleges and universities to organize internships and job-seeking activities on the premise of ensuring the safety of all participants.

Schools should guide teachers and students to strengthen self-protection on their way home as well as tighten epidemic control on campuses during the vacation, said the circular.

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It also called for a staggered opening of the spring semester to avoid the Spring Festival travel rush and prevent unnecessary gatherings. 

In Beijing, two universities announced on Saturday the winter vacation would start earlier than usual, in an effort to reduce the pressure of COVID-19 control on campus.

Guo Yong, deputy Party secretary of Tsinghua University, said on Saturday that the winter vacation for undergraduate students would last from Jan 11 to Feb 21. Graduate students and teachers engaged in teaching and research work are required to take the vacation between Jan 14 and Feb 19.

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The school will strictly implement epidemic control measures on campus. Visitors are required to show healthy green codes or nucleic acid test certificates negative for COVID-19 before entering the school, Guo said.

Zhu Guanghao, deputy Party secretary of Beijing International Studies University, said that the school started arranging for students to leave for winter vacations in batches on Dec 14 and Dec 31, 2020.

The Chinese capital has tightened measures to tackle COVID-19, as 25 locally transmitted confirmed cases were reported between Dec 18 and Jan 1. By Saturday, the city had designated seven areas as medium-risk.

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