Step up COVID precautions
教育部:高校错峰放寒假
Universities in China should make sure departures of students heading home for winter vacation are staggered and make proper arrangements for those staying on campus amid increasing risks of COVID-19 cluster infections, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday.
教育部12月1日表示，今冬明春发生局部聚集性疫情风险加大，高校放寒假要坚持“错峰”原则，安排学生分批次有序离校，妥善安排留校师生寒假生活。
There have been confirmed COVID-19 cases in multiple regions on the Chinese mainland in the past month.
过去一个月，国内多地出现新冠肺炎确诊病例。
Local education authorities, universities and schools should realize that this winter and next spring are critical in pandemic prevention and control, and they should strictly implement containment measures, the ministry said in a notice.
教育部在一则通知中表示，各地教育部门、各高校和中小学校要深刻认识今冬明春是疫情防控关键时期，要严格落实校园疫情防控措施。

They should strengthen management of events involving large gatherings of people and sanitize important locations such as classrooms, canteens and dormitories to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, the notice said.
要加强聚集性活动管理，做好教室、食堂、宿舍等重点场所卫生管理，防范新冠肺炎疫情与其他传染病。
They should also actively prevent the virus from spreading through cold-chain food by offering strict training to staff members responsible for purchasing food and conducting emergency drills, it said.
通知要求，要主动防范新冠肺炎疫情通过进口冷链食品输入风险，严格做好食品采购人员防护，强化应急演练。
Schools and universities should also make early preparations for the spring semester, it added.
通知还要求各校及早谋划2021年春季学期开学工作。