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The University of Oxford will interview prospective students online amid "ongoing concerns" about coronavirus.

Thousands of applicants would normally attend the university for face-to-face interviews over a two-week period before Christmas.

But this year Oxford has decided to move admissions interviews online for courses starting in 2021.

The announcement comes ahead of the university's virtual open day on Wednesday.

Online interviews are already used with applicants who have difficulties travelling to Oxford, but most candidates would normally have at least two interviews, and they would stay in Oxford's colleges for the duration of their subject interviews.

Interviews are "a key part of forming a nuanced understanding of a student's potential to flourish at Oxford", the institution said.

A University of Oxford spokesman said: "Oxford interviews usually bring around 10,000 applicants from around the world to Oxford during a two-week period in December.

"It is in light of the ongoing concerns with the global Covid-19 pandemic and our priority to protect the wellbeing of our applicants, students, staff and the wider community, that we have taken the decision to move to online admissions interviews in December 2020."

A Cambridge University spokesman said it was also "making plans to interview applicants this year without requiring them to travel to Cambridge in December".