Study abroad students summoned home by their colleges and universities over coronavrius and COVID-19 fears face quarantines, isolation and bans from campus, according to published reports.
In Connecticut, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, Trinity College and the University of New Haven are barring students from campus and asking them to isolate themselves for two weeks after returning from Italy and other hard-hit countries designated as “Level 3” areas, the Hartford Courant reported.
“Trinity students returning from … Level 3 areas may NOT return to campus, as the college cannot ensure on our campus any self-isolation monitoring or quarantine of individuals that may be necessary,” Trinity College said on its website regarding students returning from its program in Rome. “The college will work closely with them to attend to their academic needs.”
Yale University has also asked travelers arriving from a Level 3 location to register and self-isolate for 14 days.
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Clemson University in South Carolina is suspending all study-abroad programs, which means 385 students studying in six countries will have to return home, The Post and Courier reported.
“There are compelling health and logistical reasons for recall of all students,” Clemson spokesman Joe Galbraith told The Post and Courier. “And while the nation they’re in might not be currently experiencing severe impact, the speed with which it’s spreading globally informed our decision.”
At Ohio State University, 21 students have returned to the U.S. or will travel home because of the coronavirus threat, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Ohio State students returning from China will be barred from classes and campus activities until they’ve self-quarantined for two weeks, according to The Dispatch.
Bentley University in Massachusetts has asked study abroad students returning from Italy to return to their hometowns, rather than campus, CBS Boston reported.
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The State University of New York system will also bring home students from countries where the outbreak is most severe, Politico reported.
The City University of New York, Columbia University and Syracuse University have all suspended travel to countries where outbreaks are the most severe, according to Politico.
Syracuse University is developing a plan for students to take classes online should campus have to close, Politico reported.
“This proactive preparation is not intended to alarm anyone,” Syverud said in a campus-wide statement Monday, according to Politico. “However, it has become clear that we must be ready to deploy a strategy that takes into account the health and safety of our community as well as the academic obligations we have to our students.”
