Coronavirus: Chabot College Suspends In-Person Classes

HAYWARD, CA — Chabot College in Hayward has suspended in-person classes on Thursday, through Saturday, Interim Chancellor Ronald Gerhard announced in a message to the community on Wednesday. Classes were also suspended at Las Positas in Livermore, also part of the college district.

Classes will resume on Monday either online or through limited in-person participation classes. Students will receive notification directly from their instructors prior to class on Monday.

Regularly scheduled online classes will continue without disruption.

There have been no reported coronavirus cases within the college community, but the college district is following the guidance from health professionals who are attempting to stop the spread of the virus.

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The World Health Organization declared new coronavirus a global pandemic on Wednesday.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019 is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way to prevent the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home if you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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