Teacher Liu Feng gives online course to his students at a middle school in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 3, 2020. In order to prevent and control the spread of the novel coronavirus, the opening of the new semester of schools in Xinjiang has been postponed. Some schools has given online courses to students preparing for the senior high school and college entrance exams. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

China will recruit 189,000 more postgraduates and 322,000 more undergraduates this year to tackle the COVID-19 epidemic, prioritizing areas like preventive medicine, emergency management, public health and old-age services, which will see surging demand in the near future, officials said at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

There will be 8.74 million new university graduates in China this year, a record-breaking number, whose employment is also challenged by the COVID19 epidemic, officials said, vowing to launch policies to help them find jobs. 

A 24-hour, 365-day online recruitment platform will be launched to help graduates find jobs under the impact of the COVID19 epidemic. 

The Ministry of Education is closely observing the epidemic situation and is in talks with experts to ensure the health and safety of examinees and teachers taking part in this year's gaokao, China's national university entrance exam. There will be more than 10 million students sit for gaokao this year.