Harford Community College To Close Amid Coronavirus Concerns

BEL AIR, MD — Harford Community College is suspending face-to-face classes starting Thursday, March 12. The campus will be closed until March 29. Officials said the measure was out of an abundance of caution as the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus grows and as other institutions around the state take similar steps.

Spring break at Harford Community College is March 14 to 22, and campus will be closed that week as well as March 23 to 29, when courses will continue online.

"At present, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among HCC students or employees, and we have no reason to believe that there is cause for immediate concern on campus," Interim President of Harford Community College Jacqueline Jackson said in a statement Wednesday.

"However, we recognize that the number of coronavirus cases in Maryland is growing, and that many of our sister institutions are taking proactive steps to minimize the risk to students and employees," Jackson continued. "We also understand that many people will be traveling over spring break, and this poses potential risks to the campus community.”

Stay up to date on the latest developments. Get news alerts from Harford County Patches.

Harford Community College announced its plan the day after the University System of Maryland advised its students to prepare for two weeks off campus after spring break.

Over the next two weeks, Harford Community College officials will determine in conjunction with the Harford County Health Department and Harford County Executive's Office when to resume face-to-face instruction and reopen campus.

"We are fortunate to have the capacity to temporarily shift to an online-only environment, and are taking advantage of this option because we believe it is in the best interest of our campus community," Jackson said. “It is only out of an abundance of caution that the college is closing."

The college will update people on the Harford Community College coronavirus page and send alerts through the HCCAlertMe system.

See Also:

• Turkey Disputes Claim About Harford Resident With Coronavirus
• Harford Woman With New Coronavirus Traveled In Turkey: Gov. Hogan
• MD Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

The new coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

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 the Maryland Health Department's coronavirus page or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus disease situation summary for additional information and resources.

This is breaking news and may be updated.