Covid: UCL tells students to not return to campus

Students at University College London (UCL) have been told to not return to campus until at least the end of February.

It goes against government advice for students to return to university at the end of January.

It comes as all primary and secondary schools in London are closed on what would have been the first day of the school term.

All schools are to move to remote learning.

Vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers can continue to attend school.

Early years care, alternative provision and special schools remain open.

In a statement, UCL said it wanted to be "honest and transparent" about its decision-making.

It said: "Our current and most realistic assessment is that it is unlikely that case rates will have reduced sufficiently to allow students to return to campus before at least mid-February, and quite possibly the end of March.

"We will therefore be moving all teaching and other face-to-face, in-person activities online from the start of term until the end of reading week. There will be no in-person teaching on campus until Monday 22 February, at the earliest."

It added: "We are aware that this is later than the government is advising but we believe this is the most responsible course of action in this complex situation."

The government is currently advising universities to stagger the return to campus for students over five weeks, starting from this week.

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