China orders university students to stay on campus to halt coronavirus spread
- Directive part of a raft of new rules in store for colleges as classes gradually resume
- But changes do not apply to staff, according to health and education authorities
China has banned university students heading back to campus from leaving school grounds as classes gradually resume throughout the country.
The directive does not apply to university staff.
Schools throughout China have been closed since January but some students – mostly high school pupils graduating this spring – have been allowed to resume classes this month as coronavirus cases have appeared to wane.
Mainland China reported 1,100 active coronavirus cases by Monday, most of which were imported, according to official data.
Some parts of the country, including Qinghai and Xinjiang, have asked universities to reopen. In Jiangsu province in the country’s east, various universities have allowed students to make their own decision about whether to return to campus.