The University of Illinois will temporarily switch to distance learning in January before opening classrooms to students.

Students and staff in Chicago and Champaign-Urbana will be required to present negative COVID-19 tests, the university said on Monday.

The Chicago campus will be online for two weeks, starting January 10, with a few exceptions. The Champaign-Urbana campus will be online from January 18 to 23.

“We anticipate that the two-week online teaching period will allow students to get booster doses, settle in and resolve any health issues without worrying about missing the start of the semester,” said the letter from Chicago campus.

The COVID-19 vaccination rate on all campuses, including Springfield, is over 95%.

“We don’t know how well the vaccination and the booster will protect against the omicron variant, but it looks like there is likely some protection against it,” said Susan Bleasdale, assistant vice chancellor in Chicago. “Not necessarily from transmission but from serious illness.”

Northwestern University announced a similar plan online.

Meanwhile, Illinois has reported about 12,330 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily total in more than a year.

Cristian Ruiz took his three children to be tested after possible exposure at school. It may take five days to see results.

“Our photo with Santa Claus, we never got that,” Ruiz told the Chicago Tribune.