Coronavirus Fears Prompt Closure Of Austin Colleges

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Texas at Austin, St. Edward's University, Concordia University and Austin Community College canceled classes on Friday as news of the first local cases of new coronavirus were revealed early Friday.

Austin Public Health officials confirmed the emergence of two presumptive cases of the respirator ailment now dubbed COVID-19 — a man in his 60s with an epidimilogical link to Houston, where several cases have been confirmed, and a woman in her 30s who arrived from neighboring Montgomery County.

As a result of the confirmed cases, both universities opted to close for the day as a tactic of "social distancing" advised by health officials to mitigate the potential spread of contagion. Separately, Austin ISD — the city's largest school district and the fifth-largest in the state — also opted to close on Friday in an abudance of caution.

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UT-Austin "...has suspended campus visits, Admissions Welcome Center and residence hall tours, and in-person events until further notice," university officials wrote on Twitter. "We will announce online and virtual alternatives to these in-person experiences soon. Thank you for your understanding!"

St. Edward's and Austin Community College followed suit, the latter closing as of 10 a.m. In an update posted on Twitter, Austin Communty College officials advised the college would resume campus operations after the spring break on March 23. Concordia University also announced it would be closed on Friday.

Austin Community College advised students to be on the lookout for an email with further details and updates. For its part, St. Edward's University officials previously advised there would be no on-campus instruction in Austin after the spring break from March 23 to April 4, as all classes would be conducted online during this time period.

Related stories:

• Austin ISD Cancels Classes Amid Coronavirus Fears
• 2 Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In Austin

Concordia Universit officials said all "...on-ground classes on the CTX main campus are canceled for today, March 13, and Saturday, March 14." School officials urged students to stay tuned to the CTX website for further updates.

in response to the growing COVID-19 threat, Concordia University officials previusly altered the school's post-Spring Break schedule: "Like many colleges across the nation, Concordia is making some changes to its curriculum delivery following Spring Break," officials wrote on Twitter.

Huston-Tillotson University officials did not announce a closure on Friday, but have also altered the school's schedule in light of COVID-19. In a previous statement,President Collette Pierce Burnette said the Spring Break schedule would be extended until March 29 and all classes would be moved online beginning March 30.

"These are austere times and far from what any of us expected to be occurring during this spring semester," Burnette wrote. "I appreciate greatly your continuing commitment to focusing on our collective effort to remain vigilant, protecting ourselves and others from becoming ill."

In a related move, Austin ISD also canceled classes on Friday over COVID-19 fears.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The virus is largely spread from respiratory droplets emitted by infected people, exacerbated when those in contact with a sick person touches their face — spreading the virus through mucous membranes. Health officials have urged people to scrub their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds as the virus also can spread through contact with COVID-19 on surfaces.