The General Office of the State Council announced that the Chinese New Year Holiday will be officially extended through and including February 2, 2020. Accordingly, the China National Intellectual Property Administration will remain closed through February 2 and reopen on February 3.  Therefore, all patent and trademark deadlines falling on January 31 and February 1, 2020 will be extended to February 3, 2020.

The General Office of the State Council explained that extended holiday was “to strengthen the prevention and control of pneumonia epidemic of new coronavirus infection, effectively reduce the gathering of people, block the spread of the epidemic, and better protect the lives and health of the people.”

The Ministry of Education also announced that colleges and universities affiliated with the Ministry of Education will delay the start of the Spring Semester. Locally-affiliated colleges, primary schools and kindergartens will have delayed-starts according to local governments.

Some cities are expanding the Chinese New Year holiday, which was to end on January 30, 2020, even further.  For example, Shanghai has announced the holiday will extend through and including February 9, 2020. Schools will not reopen before February 17, 2020.