UD Cancels All Spring Break and Summer Abroad Programs over Coronavirus Fears
Cover photo of the coronavirus from Pixabay
Sean Newhouse
Online Editor-in-Chief
University of Dayton officials announced in an email sent to members of campus Monday evening that all university-sponsored international and domestic spring break and summer education abroad programs have been canceled because of the spread of the coronavirus.
Additionally, all non-essential university-sponsored student travel within the U.S. is canceled until further notice. (This includes Flyer News’ planned trip to a conference in New York City later this week.) The email stated that decisions about sports team travel will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Officials also suspended university-sponsored travel outside of the continental U.S. and non-essential business travel within the U.S. for faculty and staff.
While no coronavirus cases have been connected to UD, the university is taking action in addition to canceling travel:
· A working group has been established that is meeting several times a week to coordinate the university’s response
· Crews have increased cleaning in high-traffic places
· Deep cleaning of residential and academic buildings will be conducted during spring break
As of Sunday, the NCAA is planning to allow fans in the stands for the NCAA Basketball Tournament First Four, which will be hosted at UD Arena next week. The NCAA has established a panel to guide its response to the outbreak.
UD’s announcement comes on the same day that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that there are three confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio. They are all in Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is.
An additional five Ohioans are awaiting their coronavirus test results, according to the Columbus Dispatch. DeWine also declared a state of emergency in Ohio.
“The state of emergency that I’ve declared in Ohio is a legal necessity that allows state departments and agencies to better coordinate in their response,” he said.
The coronavirus, which originated in China, has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and has killed more than 3,800.
According to the CDC, there are 423 coronavirus cases in the U.S. and 19 deaths. 35 states, including Washington, D.C., have reported cases.
Flyer News reported last week that the university advised UD students studying abroad in Italy and South Korea, two countries that have been hit especially hard by the virus, to return home.
In February, two students from nearby Miami University tested negative for the virus after exhibiting symptoms following a trip to China.
Here are steps you can take to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The university will post updates about the coronavirus to this page.
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