Coronavirus In Delaware: Governor Declares State Of Emergency As 3 More University Of Delaware Members Test Positive For COVID-19
NEWARK, Del. (CBS/AP) -- Gov. John Carney has declared a state of emergency after three more members of the University of Delaware community tested positive for the coronavirus. This brings the total number of coronavirus cases in the state of Delaware to four.
Carney issued the declaration to prepare for the spread of the virus.
The university says two graduate students and a postdoctoral researcher were the latest to test positive. The Delaware Division of Public Health says they are not severely ill and are currently self-isolated at home.
The three latest patients had close contact at an off-campus social event in February with the professor who tested positive on Wednesday. The professor is not severely ill and also doing well.
"I realize this news may be distressing as the number of cases nationally continues to increase. Please know that our leadership team is meeting continually to evaluate this changing situation in order to make decisions that are informed by guidance from state and national health officials. All of our decisions are focused on the health and safety of our campus environment as a top priority. And operationally, we will do everything we can to maintain our students' academic continuity and progress so that we can return to the daily rhythm of University life as soon as possible," university president Dennis Assanis said.
Officials at the University of Delaware, which has more than 18,000 undergraduates at its Newark campus, said classes would be conducted online for the rest of the semester, or until further notice. They also suspended classes Thursday and Friday and said spring break would be moved up to Saturday.
University officials already had canceled this year's UDance, a popular dance marathon that raises money for childhood cancer research and was to have been held March 22. The university also has suspended all programming for its Osher Lifelong Learning Institute until further notice. The institute serves those 50 and older, a population that includes those most vulnerable to serious complications from the virus.
University-sponsored travel to all international locations has been banned through the end of the spring semester. The school also is discouraging personal international travel, including during spring break.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
