Taiwan postpones school opening amid surging COVID-19 epidemic

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's primary and middle schools will postpone the beginning of next semester by four days to Feb 22 so that they will be more prepared in COVID-19 epidemic control, the island's education department said Wednesday.

Colleges were also asked to start the new semester after Feb 22, the department said in a press release.

All international students, arriving in Taiwan for the new semester, should take COVID-19 tests when concluding their quarantine, it added.

The island reported two COVID-19 cases Wednesday, both from Indonesia, according to the local epidemic monitoring agency.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan has risen to 917 as of Wednesday. Eight of them have died, 834 have recovered and 75 remain hospitalized, according to the agency.