Merrimack College Extends Spring Break Amid Coronavirus Concerns

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Merrimack College is extending its spring break an extra week in an attempt to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the college announced Tuesday. Students will not return until Sunday, March 22. While the college has yet to announce a switch to online classes, as many schools around the state have done, staff are exploring the option, they said.

The school encouraged students who have "specific housing questions or concerns" to contact the dean of students, but the dorms will not be open for general residence. Administrative offices are open.

The end of spring break is subject to change, the announcement notes. The college will use the extra week to plan for potentially switching to remote/online learning, and there will be meetings Thursday and Friday to discuss the option.

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All campus events with attendance of 50 or more are canceled through April 6, but the school has yet to make any decisions regarding Accepted Student Day, scheduled for March 29. The spring sports schedule is also under review.

All college-sponsored travel is banned, for staff, students and faculty. However, study abroad programs will continue, except for those in Italy, which is currently locked down due to the coronavirus outbreak.

See more detail from the college's announcement.

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, now called COVID-19, 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 confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on 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 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing 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 when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.