Chinese universities delay fall semester due to surge in COVID-19 cases

A section of Chinese universities, especially those located in the cities that have medium- and high-risk areas, have delayed the fall semester scheduled to begin around September due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the country.

Eastern China's Nanjing city reported 317 cases of COVID-19 by Wednesday. Alarmed by the outbreak, the Southeast University canceled the summer holiday starting Monday to start the fall semester, which started a month earlier.

The Nanjing University of Science and Technology asked students not to return after summer holidays, and Nanjing Tech University implemented the closed-off management of its campus.

Tsinghua University in Beijing announced that the students in the medium and high-risk areas should not return to school and delayed registration of new students. The new schedule for students will be updated.

Beijing Language and Culture University and Fudan University in Shanghai have asked their students who are residing in the medium- and high-risk areas to refrain from returning to school temporarily.

Tianjin University in north China and the Northwest AF University in the northwest postponed the beginning of their semester as well.