Coronavirus Case Confirmed At North Central College In Naperville

NAPERVILLE, IL — A case of new coronavirus has been confirmed at North Central College. The patient is a member of the college's administrative staff, according to an open letter from North Central College President Troy Hammond.

Hammond said the employee last reported to work in the Old Main building on March 10. They went home after feeling ill and self-quarantined for 14 days. They were notified of their positive test results on Saturday and informed the college.

According to Hammond, the employee "was not immediately tested" for coronavirus, but informed other campus members with whom they were in close contact.

In-person classes at North Central College were suspended as of March 12. Students who live on-campus were given until March 18 to return to their homes, unless they qualified for an exception.

Hammond said, "We knew that it was likely only a matter of time before our campus community would be more directly affected by COVID-19, which is why we’ve taken the steps that we have over the past several days and weeks to prioritize the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, as well as the broader community."

He added that public health officials told the college to expect additional cases. He said updates about potential future cases would be posted to the North Central College website.

Hammond added, "Please join me in keeping this employee in our thoughts and prayers and in wishing them well for a full recovery."