(File photo: cjn.cn)
Since late August, most universities in China have begun to welcome students back. According to Li Yi, the spokesperson of Beijing Municipal Ministry of Education, 600,000 college students will return to Beijing for the fall semester, with 3,000 to 5,000 students returning every day.
"Considering the epidemic-control situation in the whole country and in colleges," said Li, "every student from outside of Beijing is going to take nucleic acid tests." Around 200,000 students, the largest batch, are expected to return from August 31 to September 6. The number of returnees on a single day is estimated to peak on September 6 at around 50,000.
Outside of Beijing, university students are also coming back to campus in staggered time slots. Students of Wuhan University and Zhongnan University of Economics and Law will return in four separate batches from late-August to mid-September.
According to the guidelines issued by the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education, universities in many regions will continue to strengthen semi-closed campus management. Students and teachers are discouraged from leaving campuses unless necessary. Outsiders are not allowed on campus unless permitted.
In terms of classroom hygiene, the guidelines stress indoor ventilation. Frequently touched surfaces in public, such as door handles, desks, chairs, handrails and elevator buttons, must be disinfected daily.
In addition, schools should hold activities in smaller units. The guidelines also promote universities to keep classrooms, study rooms, libraries and stadiums outdoors, and avoid large indoor gatherings.
Furthermore, students are encouraged to dine in staggered hours. For instance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law encourages students to take their own dinnerware to canteens, or get dishes delivered.
Most colleges have cleaned and disinfected dormitories before the semester. Unauthorized people are strictly excluded to enter dormitories. Student gatherings in dormitories should be avoided.
(Compiled by Wang Qin)