Coronavirus: Harvard moves to online classes, asks students not to return after Spring Break

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

As the number of presumptive cases of coronavirus rise in the U.S., one Ivy League university is taking precautions to protect students and staff.

On Tuesday morning, Harvard University announced that classes will be held online.

Students were asked not to return to campus after Spring Recess ends on March 23. Harvard hopes to have the transition complete by that date.

Both undergraduate and graduate students will be impacted by the switch.

The campus is also transitioning to non-essential gatherings of no more than 25 people.

The decision to move to virtual instruction was not made lightly. The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings. Our actions are consistent with the recommendations of leading health officials on how to limit the spread of COVID-19 and are also consistent with similar decisions made by a number of our peer institutions. The campus will remain open and operations will continue with appropriate measures to protect the health of the community.

- Harvard University President

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