A UNIVERSITY has given advice to its students about travelling home safely for the Christmas break.

Durham University is rolling out plans to make sure its students get home safe for Christmas, without the threat of further Covid transmissions.

The university also has plans to scale up its testing scheme in the coming weeks.

Teaching will move fully online after Friday, December 4, with the exception lab based practicals.

The Northern Echo:

In a statement on the University's website Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said: “We welcome the Government’s guidance on how students at English universities can travel home safely for Christmas.

"We are aware that many of our students will very much want to travel home for Christmas, while others will choose to, or have to, remain in Durham. All our students will have our full support.

“We are reminding our students that under current national restrictions, in place until Wednesday, December 2, travelling home is not permitted.

"Following that date, we want to support our students to make informed decisions regarding their travel and will be providing information, advice and support in coming weeks.

“For those who remain in Durham, the Bill Bryson Library and the Sports and Wellbeing Park will continue to operate, and a range of wider student activities will continue.

“Cleaning in Colleges will continue and students will have access to catering, either via a pantry or self-catered kitchen or, dependent on viability, a central College catering facility where meals could be purchased.

“The Government has indicated its support for a preferred “student travel window” of December 3 to 9. They have linked this nationally to students having been tested for Covid-19.

"We are proud to be pioneering asymptomatic testing at Durham through our Lateral Flow Test pilot. We aim to scale this up and hope to share more details with our staff, students and the community next week.”