Chinese academic institutions, from kindergartens to colleges, are extending their holiday break, postponing exam dates and deferring enrollment for next semester to contain the spread of a new coronavirus.
Nurseries, schools and universities in central China's Hubei Province postponed their resumption date, according to the Pneumonia Epidemic Control Headquarters of Hubei on Thursday evening. It was not clear when exactly they would re-open.
The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, in December, but quickly spread across the country and beyond. There are now more than 830 confirmed cases inside China, where the virus has claimed 25 lives so far. Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and Singapore are among the countries that reported coronavirus cases over the past few days.
World's largest population of college students
Wuhan University is located in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province,
The outbreak coincides with the largest annual human migration in the world as hundreds of millions of Chinese hit the road back to their hometowns for the week-long Spring Festival holiday, stoking fears that people's movement could carry the virus around.
Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, is said to be home to the world's largest population of college students – more than 1.3 million. It is one of the country's main hubs for research and academic education with nearly 90 universities.
Authorities closed off Wuhan on Tuesday, halting train, plane, ferry and bus services in and out of the city. Nearby cities were either put on lockdown or had their transport services partially shut down in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.
Tests rescheduled, enrollment deferred
Exam postponement notices are issued by Chinese top art academies, including China Academy of Art, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, and Shanghai University.
Nationwide, top academies have decided to reschedule their art tests, which are major elements of college entrance exams and originally slated for February.
They include the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, the China Academy of Art in the eastern city of Hangzhou, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts and Shanghai University.
Meanwhile, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government announced on Friday morning that schools will not open before February 10.
The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau issued an announcement on the official website of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government.
In its statement, the SAR's education bureau said it informed schools of appropriate arrangements for students to study at home.
The slew of announcements from academic institutions across the country come as Chinese authorities urge people to avoid crowded spaces and large gatherings.
In the Chinese capital, temple fairs – a tradition during the Chinese New Year – were called off and new movie releases were put on hold. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has also announced that all scheduled games starting February 1 will be postponed.