Dear Commons Community,

Columbia University is canceling two days of classes this week because a person at the school is under quarantine from coronavirus exposure, the university’s president Lee Bollinger announced in an email yesterday..

“I am writing this evening to notify everyone that, because a member of our community has been quarantined as a result of exposure to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have decided to suspend classes on Monday and Tuesday,” President Bollinger, wrote in an email.

Bollinger noted that the person under quarantine has not yet been diagnosed with the deadly virus. They did not say if it was a student or staff member.

“This action is intended to prevent the virus from spreading,” the president wrote.

From Wednesday until the start of Spring Break on Friday, classes will be taught remotely, Bollinger said.

Meanwhile, Hofstra University on Long Island canceled this week’s classes when a student reported flu-like symptoms Sunday after attending a conference with a person who later tested positive for coronavirus.

The student is being tested and kept in isolation, the university announced in a statement. Six other people who came in close contact with the student have been asked to self-quarantine.

“We want to emphasize that this action is a precaution taken to provide peace of mind to students, faculty, staff and families,” the school said.

The university has no confirmed coronavirus cases.

I hope every college and university especially in states (California, Washington, New York) that have high incidents of coronavirus have made backup plans for dealing with possible infection among students, faculty, or staff.

Tony

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