Loyola University Cancels Face-To-Face Instruction Temporarily

BALTIMORE, MD — Loyola University Maryland is taking precautions as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continues to rise in Maryland.

The college has discontinued face-to-face instruction from March 11 to 31, according to Loyola University. Faculty will teach all courses online or electronically starting Wednesday, March 18.

Residence halls will close at noon Friday, March 13, but students are encouraged to "return home as soon as possible." Classes are slated to resume in person Wednesday, April 1.

"There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Loyola University Maryland," according to the university's coronavirus updates page.

As of Tuesday night, there are nine cases of the new coronavirus in Maryland:

• Five in Montgomery County. Four people went on an Egyptian river cruise (a man and woman in their 70s as well as one woman in her 50s and another in her 60s). Officials said a man in his 60s from Montgomery County tested positive after he traveled to Thailand and Egypt.
• Three in Prince George's County. The first patient to test positive is a woman in her 50s who contracted the virus during a Feb. 25-27, visit to Boston. The two new positive cases involve a couple who traveled internationally aboard a cruise ship.
• One in Harford County. An 86-year-old woman remains hospitalized Tuesday after traveling to Turkey.

No cases have been reported in Baltimore.

Loyola University Maryland is still open, and Loyola employees should continue to report for duty, according to the guidance issued Tuesday.

See Loyola's emergency information page for the current status. Those with questions can send them to coronavirus@loyola.edu or call the Loyola COVID-19 call center at 888-298-1964. TDD users call Relay service by dialing 711.

The measures at Loyola University Maryland, which is a private Jesuit university, were introduced Tuesday, the same day that the University System of Maryland advised its students to prepare for two weeks off campus after spring break.

Loyola University Maryland already had its spring break from March 2 to 8.

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The new coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The first case in Maryland was reported Thursday, March 5.

Symptoms are fever, cough, difficulty breathing and pneumonia, resulting in anything from mild respiratory issues to death.

It spreads between those closer than 6 feet apart through respiratory droplets when a person who is infected coughs or sneezes and the droplets get into the mouths or noses of others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maryland health officials recommend hand washing as a way to protect against the spread of viruses in general, including influenza and the new coronavirus.

People should also keep their hands away from their eyes and mouth; stay home when sick; and cough or sneeze into a tissue.

Visit health.maryland.com/coronavirus or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus disease situation summary for additional information and resources.

See Also:

• MD Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know
• UMD Tells Students To Prepare For 2 Weeks Off Campus After Break