TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Amid a spike in local COVID cases, nearly 100 schools across Taiwan canceled classes on Wednesday (April 6), the first day of school after the four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday.

On Tuesday (April 5), the Central Epidemic Command Center reported 216 local infections and 65 imported ones. That evening, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that 99 schools in 13 counties and cities around the country would be closed or suspend some classes due to infections among teachers and students.

At 10 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the MOE stated that a total of 99 schools had announced cancelations for Wednesday in New Taipei City, Taipei, Taichung, Taoyuan, Keelung, Changhua County, Kaohsiung, Yilan County, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Taitung County, Hualien County, and Pingtung County.

These institutions include 38 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 15 high schools, and 29 junior colleges. Depending on the infection status of teachers and students, schools will close, suspend some classes, or adopt online teaching. On Tuesday, 35 new local and two imported cases were reported among students, bringing the total number of students infected in the past year to 1,667, according to the MOE.