Coronavirus: Montclair State University Moves Most Classes Online

MONTCLAIR, NJ — There are no known cases of the novel coronavirus at Montclair State University as of Tuesday. But that isn’t stopping school administrators from taking precautionary measures to protect students, staff and visitors.

On Tuesday, the university announced that it is extending spring break and moving most of its classes online as the state continues to deal with an outbreak of the coronavirus dubbed COVID-19.

Earlier in the day, officials announced that New Jersey has seen its first fatality related to COVID-19. State health officials have maintained that most New Jersey residents are at "very low risk" of contracting the virus.

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“We have been monitoring the coronavirus situation closely for the past several weeks and responding as needed based on the circumstances,” MSU President Susan Cole stated.

While there are no known cases of COVID-19 among the university community, as a precautionary measure to assure that students have the opportunity to complete the spring term successfully and to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus by reducing the density of the campus population, the university will roll out several initiatives, school officials said.

They include:

• “Spring break for students will be extended through Sunday, March 22.”
• “Effective Monday, March 23, the majority of instruction will take place online for the rest of the semester. There will be some exceptions, for example, certain studio or laboratory courses that will remain face-to-face.”
• “Courses that are already being offered fully online will continue in accordance with the original schedule.”
• “School of Nursing courses will follow the school’s own specific schedule.”
• “University-sponsored travel outside of New Jersey will be limited to essential travel and will require approval.”

MSU administrators emphasized that the school is not closing.

"All functions will continue, and all services and facilities will remain open, including the residence halls, dining services, the health center, the library, computer centers, research support, recreational facilities, information technology, and so on," administrators wrote. "Red Hawk Athletics contests will continue as scheduled. The residence halls remain open during the break, and students living in them are welcome to return at any time. The university will continue to monitor the situation closely and take necessary actions to respond to changing circumstances or the needs of the campus community. We will continue to post updates on the Montclair State coronavirus website."

“This university has successfully overcome many challenges throughout its long history,” school administrators added. “By working together and supporting each other, we will get through this situation.”

There have been 804 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University, which said the disease also has killed 28 people in the United States.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

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, also 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 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, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and 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.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 800-222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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