What’s new: China postponed this year’s college entrance exam for more than 10 million students by one month out of concerns over continuing risks of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students will take the test, known as Gaokao in Chinese, July 7-8 instead of in June, the Ministry of Education said Tuesday. Only Beijing and Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, will be allowed to set their own dates.
Background: The delay is the first time for China to adjust the schedule of the key exam in 17 years. There are concerns that China, where the Covid-19 virus first emerged, may face a new wave of infections as cases surge globally.
Although the domestic outbreak has eased for weeks, fears about the virus persist because of the rising number of imported cases as well as opaque data on asymptomatic cases in China.
Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full story in Chinese, click here.
Related: China for First Time Reveals Its Number of Asymptomatic Coronavirus Cases
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
