One New England College’s Rome Campus Continues to Operate During the Italian Coronavirus Crisis
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Assumption students remain in Rome PHOTO: GoLocal
“Each day College staff have monitored the U.S. State Department’s Travel Warnings and Advisories as well as local news reports,” said Michael K. Guilfoyle, Executive Director of Communications at Assumption.
The Wall Street Journal reports on Wednesday, “Italy’s coronavirus outbreak has crossed the Alps and is being linked to a growing number of infections around Europe, prompting countries and companies to enact precautionary measures to reduce travel to and from Italy.
By Wednesday, 374 people in Italy had contracted the virus, of whom 12 had died, all of them elderly people with pre-existing health conditions. Nine of the dead were in Lombardy, the region around Milan where three-quarters of the infections have occurred. In Lombardy, six minors also tested positive, according to a regional official."
Closely Monitoring
“We have been monitoring closely the global Coronavirus situation and the situation in Italy. It is important to note that as of today, most cases are confined to the northern region of Italy, 3 to five hours from Rome which is located in the central part of the country,” he told GoLocal.
Regardless, given the increase in the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus, the decision was made to suspend all College-sponsored travel the northern region and suspend all independent student travel to the region," said Guilfoyle.
The school is taking precautions. "Following conversations with staff here in Worcester, our faculty in Rome met with students on Monday night to share that news. That information was also shared with all students who are studying abroad as well as their families. Students were also reminded of precautions to prevent Coronavirus and the flu," he added.
"At this time, Coronavirus is prevalent in the northern region of Italy, some three to five hours from Rome where our campus is located. The safety of our students is paramount, however, we also endeavor for them to experience a rewarding and memorable study abroad experience. Regardless, College officials will continue to closely monitor information disseminated by the State Department and Italian Government and adjust the College’s operations in Rome if necessary," he said.
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