Newcastle's universities say they're determined to keep their students and the public safe, as thousands of teenagers prepare to travel to the city.
The announcement of new local coronavirus restrictions for the North East is likely to have caused concern for the estimated 50,000 students who are to set to start or resume degrees at Newcastle and Northumbria this month.
And for locals, the influx of young people from across the country at a time when Covid-19 infection rates are already rising could be a worry.
Both universities have already set out a number of measures they'll be using to combat the risk of spreading the virus among their student population.
And now the two institutions have teamed up together in a bid to calm fears and explain just what the new rules mean for those who will soon be studying here, addressing an open letter to students and the public.
In the letter, Vice Chancellors Chris Day and Andrew Wathey, along with representatives of both student unions, say: "Covid has touched everyone’s lives over the past six months and like the rest of us, our students have experienced financial, health and wellbeing challenges. Their next year at university will undoubtedly be different from what they might have expected.
"However, at Newcastle and Northumbria we are committed to ensuring that we provide the teaching and learning experience this generation of students deserves.
"In this respect we would like to assure students that the additional measures announced on 17th September will not affect their ability to move to Newcastle and form a ‘household’ with other students, nor will the measures impact the quality of the education offer they will receive.
"We also know the start of this academic year will pose new challenges and we want to reassure our North East community that as students return to the region to begin or resume their studies, the safety and wellbeing of everyone in the local community is at the very heart of everything that we do."
The join 'Together Against Covid' initiative will see every student in Newcastle issued with face coverings and hand sanitiser; working on 'Covid-secure' campuses.
For now, some face-to-face teaching is still going ahead, under plans for a 'blended learning' mix of online and in-person teaching, but the universities say they will "keep our plans under review, responding to new local guidance as we need to".
The universities have also pledged to fund extra nighttime patrols by Northumbria Police in the student-heavy areas of Jesmond, Heaton, Sandyford and Ouseburn, to ensure students are keeping safe and following regulations, boosting the cash they already contribute for the force's 'Operation Oak', which aims to prevent excessive student noise and improve relations between students and locals.
The letter adds: "We take our responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of our students, our staff and our local communities seriously. We, along with our Students’ Unions, are in regular contact with local authorities, public health organisations and the police to ensure we are working in a joined up, collaborative way - Together Against Covid.
"We are practised and confident in managing public health issues with our staff and our students. Together with our Students’ Unions we are focused on ensuring that all members of our Universities communities know what we are doing, and crucially what they need to do, to keep themselves and others safe...
"We are committed to doing everything we can to minimise risks and to ensure that the return of our students to the region happens as safely as possible for everyone."
Under new rules, Newcastle students, like all other residents, are banned from socialising with anyone they don't live with in a private home or garden.
This will make any students house parties illegal - but students are permitted to move in to shared accommodation and form new households with fellow students.
Student accommodation blocks are split into individual households or bubbles, and the universities say they've staggered move-in times and dates at their blocks, to ensure the different households aren't forced to mix as they move in.
Advice issued alongside the new laws also says people should not socialise in public spaces, such as bars, with people they don't live with, meaning Freshers' Week is likely to look very different this year.
