Students should not return home from university before the second lockdown begins as it will risk the lives of loved ones, a minister has said.
Universities minister Michelle Donelan has also called on institutions not to switch fully to online lessons during the lockdown as she warned it could jeopardise students' learning and "risk their mental health".
In a letter to students ahead of the second lockdown in England, Ms Donelan has urged young people against travelling back to their families before the new national restrictions come into effect on Thursday.
She said: "I know and appreciate that a number of you may want to be back with your family during this difficult time, but I urge you to stay where you are in order to save lives."
In a separate letter to vice-chancellors, the minister said she wants all students to have "some form of face-to-face learning" where possible, as they had not seen evidence of increased transmission within teaching environments on university campuses.
Ms Donelan said: "We expect you to continue to make informed decisions with your local public health teams on the level of face-to-face teaching and learning to provide, based on appropriate risk assessments and the needs of students and staff.
Signs on a window at Manchester Metropolitan University´s Birley campus where hundreds of students have been told to self-isolate after 127 of them tested positive for coronavirus.
"We do not, however, want or expect to see a transition to full online learning during the new national restrictions — this could jeopardise the learning that students receive, as well as risk their mental health and wellbeing."
It comes after guidance from the Cabinet Office said universities and adult education settings "should consider moving to increased levels of online learning where possible" during the four-week lockdown.
The University and College Union (UCU) is calling on vice-chancellors to move all non-essential activities online now to keep students and staff safe and to minimise the spread of Covid-19.
But new Department for Education (DfE) guidance on what universities and students in England should do during the second lockdown says face-to-face teaching should continue where it can be done safely.
The guidance says "commuter students" - those who live at their family home and travel to the university campus for lessons - will still be allowed to attend the university for educational purposes during the lockdown.
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