FULLERTON, Calif. (CNS) — Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge Friday joined the ranks of local universities pivoting back to remote instruction to begin the semester in light of a dramatic increase in COVID-19 infections.

CSUF President Fram Virjee said classes will be held remotely for two weeks from Jan. 22 to Feb. 6. The Fullerton campus will remain open and offer student services.

"Temporarily delaying face-to-face instruction was not what we hoped for, but we believe that this decision allows us to prioritize health and safety without sacrificing academic quality and access," Virjee wrote in a message to the campus community. "As the anticipated date of returning to primarily in-person teaching and learning approaches, we will continue to assess the best path forward."

At Cal State Northridge, President Erika D. Beck said the first three weeks of that university's classes will be remote, from Jan. 24 through Feb. 11, with in-person instruction resuming Feb. 14. She noted that select courses will begin in person on Jan. 24.

"This temporary measure will allow the January case spike to subside before beginning in-person instruction, which will help to minimize the spread of COVID-19 across our campus community, and ensure our faculty and staff are able to support a quality educational experience for our students," Beck wrote in a campuswide letter.

Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Long Beach previously announced plans to begin spring classes remotely.

Each CSU campus is being allowed to decide individually on its spring protocols based on the COVID situation in their areas. The CSU system includes 23 campuses statewide.

USC will also conduct the first week of classes remotely. UCLA and UC Irvine have already begun their winter quarters remotely.