NEW: Worcester’s Assumption College Temporarily Suspends Rome Campus Due to Coronavirus

Monday, March 02, 2020

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Assumption College suspends Rome campus

Worcester’s Assumption College has temporarily suspended operations at its Rome campus in Italy for the remainder of the 2020 semester due to the coronavirus outbreak.

As GoLocalProv reported last week, Assumption announced that they were monitoring the situation in Italy.

“The safety of our students and faculty in Rome is paramount. This decision was difficult and not one made in haste, rather, it was thoughtfully, thoroughly and exhaustively discussed over a number of days. While we hoped for students to complete the semester in Rome, an unprecedented global health crisis has intervened,” said Assumption President Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D.

According to Assumption, arrangements are being made to transport the students back to the United States as soon as possible.

Assumption plans to resume operations for the summer semester, which begins in July of 2020.

Students Returning

According to Assumption, as college officials monitored the unfolding situation in Italy, contingency plans were developed for transporting students and faculty from Rome to the United States, if a suspension was deemed necessary.

Assumption is coordinating all travel arrangements for students to travel from Italy to the United States.

Students and families were reminded that the U.S. government has indicated that individuals traveling to the United States from Italy will be subject to additional screenings; Italian officials may also screen passengers prior to their departure from Italy.

Coronavirus in Italy

{image_2}According to Assumption, since Friday, February 28, Level 3 and 4 Travel Advisories were put into place urging people to reconsider travel and not travel to certain areas of the country.

As of Sunday, March 1, Italy reports 1,694 (and rising) confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy.

Latest on Coronavirus in U.S.

As GoLocalProv reported on Sunday, Rhode Island was hit with multiple cases of coronavirus, and dozens are being monitored, and two schools have been closed for evaluation and cleaning.

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has now confirmed two presumptive cases of coronavirus and at least one other individual is being tested.

The new presumptive positive case is a teenager. According to RIDOH, she is at home with mild symptoms. The adult being tested is in her 30s and is also at home with mild symptoms.

These two individuals went on the same trip to Europe in mid-February as the male in his 40s who RIDOH announced on Sunday morning as Rhode Island’s first presumptive positive case of COVID-19.

According to Heath, "All 38 of the people who went on this trip will be self-monitoring for symptoms at home for 14 days with public health supervision. They have been instructed to not go to school or work and to remain at home for these 14 days."

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