Fordham University suspends campus classes over coronavirus

New York City, N.Y., Mar 9, 2020 / 11:36 am (CNA).- Fordham University suspended in-person classes Monday afternoon, after an undergraduate student was tested for COVID-19. The Jesuit university in The Bronx announced that the suspension will continue through Tuesday, March 10, after which all classes will move to on-line instruction.

“Effective 1 p.m. today (Monday, March 9), we are taking the significant step of suspending face-to-face instruction on all Fordham’s New York-area campuses. Face-to-face classes are suspended for the remainder of Monday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 10,” says a letter published on Monday from Fordham President Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J.

Starting March 11, all classes will be taught online until further notice. Fordham’s spring recess, which was scheduled for March 14 through the 22nd, will continue as planned.

McShane wrote that the measures are “the best way to minimize the risk of spreading the virus throughout the campus community,” and that no Fordham students or anyone associated with the Fordham community has tested positive for the virus.

Fordham has three campuses in New York: the original campus, located in the Rose Hill neighborhood of The Bronx, its Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan, and a smaller, single-building campus in Westchester.

Undergraduate students who reside in campus housing are encouraged to return home as quickly as possible.

McShane said that, over the weekend, a commuter student who does not reside on campus began exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus, and was tested for the illness. That student is currently “self-isolating at home,” and the results of the COVID-19 test have not yet been released.

“We will inform the campus community immediately if we learn that the lab result is positive for the COVID-19 virus,” said McShane. “If the student is in fact positive for the virus, following established protocols, the New York City Department of Health will work in concert with University Health Services to reach everyone with whom the student has been in contact, and University staff will also follow-up on this initial contact with each person.”

In addition to the suspension of classes, Fordham has canceled or postponed all university-sponsored travel, with some exceptions for athletic teams.

“We realize that these measures are disruptive, and possibly alarming. Let me assure you that we take them because we believe they are the best way to protect the health and wellbeing of the campus community,” said McShane. He added that he was “proud of the work ethic, dedication, and resiliency of the Fordham community.”

“I would especially like to thank the faculty for the generosity of heart and deep care for our students that they have shown in adjusting their teaching to accommodate our students’ needs. You and your loved ones are in my prayers today and every day,” said McShane.

The decision by Fordham was announced on the same day as other universities in the state implemented similar policies in response to the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, both Princeton and Columbia universities said they are cancelling in-person classes and restricting on-campus meetings and university-sponsored travel.

On Saturday, New York governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state-wide emergency, with 12 confirmed cases in New York City as of March 7.

Per the Centers for Disease Control, there have been 423 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with 19 deaths. The virus has been found in 34 states as well as the District of Columbia.


If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.


7 Comments

  1. It would be helpful if they’d share some demographic data on the folks who’ve succumbed to the Wu Flu.
    So far in Italy it’s been overwhelmingly the elderly & I’d guess specifically the elderly who were already experiencing health issues.
    The infirm elderly & those with chronic illness certainly deserve our concern & protection but it does seem as though this whole thing has been hugely overblown & for the great majority of the population, the panic & economic consequences may prove more dangerous than the virus itself.

    • It is my understanding that in the US too, it is the elderly and immuno-compromised who are dying. Younger people may get it, but not know it really and just stay home, have soup and Nyquil and go about their business.
      .
      Personally, I am more concerned for my college age boys to get Meningitis from the gym. My high school son did ask me if Coronavirus was that serious. I am told there are lots of memes on the internet about it, and it has become a joke.

    • The other thing that is upsetting is that the people of Italy have now been deprived of the Mass as a matter of “safety.” If the disease itself isn’t diabolical, some of the results certainly seem to be.

      I read that one reason Italy is so hard-hit is that their population is ageing – they have relatively more elderly people than, for example, the US. For a Catholic country, their birthrate has been shamefully low for years.

      • Leslie,
        The same thing occurred to me too, that a higher percentage of the Italian population is elderly and sure enough I heard someone at the Vatican state that on Catholic radio this evening.

    • Kathryn,
      Thank you for the link to that article. I really appreciate it.
      My son in law was just sharing this evening about their plans if schools should be closed. It’s not so much to protect the children but their grandparents.
      Being a grandma myself I appreciate the thought but I’m more concerned right now about the panic in the stockmarkets and this all being commandeered for political damage during an election year. Impeachment failed so this is the next tool I guess. It never seems to end…
      Prudence is fine, panic is not.

Leave a Reply to mrscracker Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*