Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'This Is The Time To Act': Universities Telling Students To Stay Home In Hopes Of Avoiding Campus Outbreaks
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Prompts Colleges To Send Students Home
Colleges across the nation began taking the unprecedented step of sending students home for the rest of the spring semester, as they struggled to respond to the escalating uncertainties of the novel coronavirus. Harvard University Tuesday morning told students to move out of their campus housing no later than Sunday and not to return until further notice. Classes will be taught remotely. The school, which has no confirmed cases of the virus, has a regularly scheduled spring break next week. (Korn, 3/10)
The Associated Press: College Campuses Empty As Virus Scare Pushes Learning Online
College seniors began making tearful goodbyes, not knowing if they'd return to see friends on campus. Some were heading to homes without internet, leaving them to wonder if they could keep up with online classes. And some worried about finding a way to afford a flight on only a few days' notice. As dozens of universities cancel in-person classes and move instruction online amid fears over the new coronavirus, thousands of students are left scrambling to find their way home while their professors puzzle over how to move weeks of courses to the internet. (3/10)
The Washington Post: U.S. Senators Press Betsy DeVos For Answers On Education Department’s Coronavirus Response
A group of Democratic senators are pressing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to answer some key questions about her agency’s response to the spread of the novel coronavirus across the country, especially about how it plans to help vulnerable students. More than 20 senators sent a letter late Tuesday urging answers from the secretary about what the department is doing to help students affected by the outbreak of the virus. (Strauss, 3/10)
The Washington Post: Harvard Tells Students To Move Out And Finish Classes Remotely After Spring Break In Response To Covid-19
Harvard University advised students not to return to campus after spring break and to expect to complete classwork remotely until further notice in an effort to avoid the spread of covid-19. “Harvard College students will be required to move out of their houses and first-year dorms as soon as possible and no later than Sunday, March 15,” at 5 p.m., Rakesh Khurana, the dean of Harvard College told students Tuesday. (Weintraub and Svrluga, 3/10)
The Washington Post: D.C. Colleges And Universities Switch To Online Teaching Because Of Coronavirus
The University of Maryland announced Tuesday it will convert all courses on its College Park campus to remote instruction for at least two weeks after spring break, part of a growing movement to suspend in-person teaching on college campuses to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the Washington region and nationwide. (Anderson, 3/10)
The Washington Post: D.C. Coronavirus: Georgetown Day Closed, 18 Cases In D.C., Maryland, Virginia
Six new coronavirus cases were announced in Maryland and Virginia on Tuesday, and officials said several universities in the region will temporarily halt in-person classes in an effort to stop the virus from spreading. Twenty-two coronavirus cases have now been reported in the region. (Portnoy, Nirappil and Olivo, 3/10)
CNN: Duke And Other US Universities Are Canceling In-Person Classes Due To Coronavirus
Universities from California to New York have closed campus classrooms as the novel coronavirus has affected more than 100,000 people worldwide and its spread has transformed into a pandemic. The cancellations have been focused in states and areas hardest hit by the virus, including the Seattle area, California and New York. The Ohio State University, which has an enrollment of more than 60,000 students, and Harvard University, the Ivy League institution, are the latest to announce they are closing classrooms. (Levenson and Boyette, 3/11)
The Baltimore Sun: Multiple Maryland Universities Cancel Classes To Stem Coronavirus, Plan To Go Remote After Spring Break
Many Maryland college students are headed to spring break next week, and they likely won’t return to their campuses as multiple universities said Tuesday that they will opt for remote instruction to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Towson University and Morgan State University have canceled classes for the rest of this week, as did the private Loyola University of Maryland. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County has canceled classes on Thursday and Friday. Additionally, Johns Hopkins University canceled in-person classes for all students starting Wednesday, and planned to transition to remote instruction at least through April 12. (Marbella and Bowie, 3/10)
WBUR: Schools Weigh Challenges Of Staying Open During Coronavirus Spread
School leaders are facing some difficult decisions as coronavirus concerns grow in Massachusetts, with Gov. Charlie Baker declaring a public health emergency Tuesday afternoon. Among the most daunting is the idea of closing, especially for extended periods of time. So far, schools in Massachusetts have opted to close temporarily for a day or more to allow cleaning crews to thoroughly disinfect facilities. (Jung, 3/10)
NBC News: Coronavirus Is Closing More Schools. What Happens To Students Who Depend On School Lunches?
Over the next two weeks, 23,000 students in the Northshore School District in suburban Seattle are learning from home in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak gripping Washington state and rippling across the country. But with students' daily routines thrown for a loop, another immediate challenge has surfaced for school officials: How do you make sure every child has access to lunch? (Ortiz, 3/10)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Coronavirus: What UC, Xavier And Miami Are Doing Amid Concerns
Miami University, the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University have canceled most in-person classes due to concerns around the new coronavirus, officials said. The moves by the two biggest institutions of higher learning in the Cincinnati region came after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday afternoon that his health advisors had suggested such a course of action. (Brookbank, Mitchell and Longberg, 3/10)
