Students will not be made to keep two metres apart during lectures.
The government has issued new coronavirus guidance for third-level students and institutions.
It confirmed that students will not be made to keep two metres apart from each other during lectures, and will be advised to wear face coverings if social distancing can't be done.
Other than cloth face coverings (or visors where appropriate) in indoor settings, there is no requirement for other personal protective equipment related to Covid-19 to be worn by staff or students.
Attendance will also be strictly taken for contact tracing purposes, in the event of someone testing positive.
Where group work is required the groups should be as small as possible and the people in groups should be "consistent over the semester" for as many activities as possible to minimise mixing of people.
This means that if you are in a group for one module, an effort should be made to ensure you are in the same group in other modules.
Third-level students will be asked not to enter accommodation buildings they do not live in, and to not arrive on campus if they have any Covid-19 symptoms.
There will also be a requirement for space to be identified on campus that will allow people who may develop symptoms to keep safely away from others.
No set date was announced for when all colleges will return, and it was recognised that a lot of the upcoming year's work could be done online.
You can read the full government recommendations
here.
