Earlier in the day you received an email about extending spring break and attending classes remotely during the week of March 30th.I know you may be saddened and disappointed about losing time on the campus-with friends and professors, athletic events, performances, and the full set of activities and events you were looking forward to participating. However your health and safety remains our main focus during this time of the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19.
As an educational institution, we have two overarching obligations to our community: to provide the educational opportunities Middlebury is known for, and to do so in a safe, healthy environment.
Late yesterday, the Vermont Department of Health announced the state’s first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Officials are awaiting confirmation of the presumptive positive test result by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I write with an update and near-term guidance. Living day-to-day with unfolding news reports about COVID-19 (formally known as novel coronavirus) has been difficult and unsettling. It’s been top-of-mind for all of us. Addressing the many health, welfare, and logistical issues around the spread of the virus is of utmost concern for Middlebury’s administration and is our number-one priority.
I’m writing with an update to previous messages we’ve sent to members of the Middlebury community regarding the coronavirus. The health and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff are our paramount concern, and we’ll keep providing support as well as timely information as situations continue to unfold.
Middlebury College continues to closely monitor developments concerning coronavirus, which began in Wuhan, China. The College is following CDC guidance, and College health officials are not aware of any active coronavirus cases on our campus at this time.
The CDC and State Department recently raised their risk advice to Level 3 (“avoid nonessential travel” and “reconsider travel”). Several colleges and universities and study abroad providers have suspended their programs and/or banned all travel to China. The list will likely expand rapidly within the next couple of days. Considering all this, as well as other factors, we have decided to suspend the School in China (all three sites) this spring.
Currently, there is a CDC Level 3 warning (avoid nonessential travel) for Hubei Province, China. Travel in and out of Wuhan and surrounding cities is restricted. Other cities in China have seen cases of the coronavirus, though in smaller numbers, and at this point haven’t implemented any travel restrictions.
