With spring break travel around the corner, Penn State preps for coronavirus response

The university is putting together 12 taskforce groups focused on coronavirus issues.

• Anne Danahy/WPSU
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Anne Danahy is a reporter at WPSU. She was a reporter for nearly 12 years at the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pennsylvania, where she earned a number of awards for her coverage of issues including the impact of natural gas development on communities.
  
  She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and a master's degree in media studies from Penn State.
  
  Before joining WPSU, she worked as a writer and editor at Strategic Communications at Penn State and with the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute before that.
  
  She hosts a Q&A program for Centre County's government and education access station and teaches a news writing and reporting class at Penn State.

 Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo

FILE PHOTO: A Penn State student walks in the rain past Old Main on the Penn State main campus in State College, Pa., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015.

(State College) — As coronavirus continues to spread, Penn State University is planning for both the short-term and the long-run, including restricting some overseas trips.

Spring break is next week, and Penn State Provost Nick Jones said the university is getting ready.

“At the end of the day it is difficult for us to manage the travel of thousands of students,” Jones said. “That said, what we are trying to prepare for is the return of those students.”

The university is putting together 12 taskforce groups focused on coronavirus issues including the possibility of courses getting interrupted and changes in graduation ceremonies.

The university has already restricted Penn State-affiliated travel to countries on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control “Warning Level 3” list, including China, South Korea, and Iran.

Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Fans walk by a sanitizing station at Staples Center prior to an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday, March 1, 2020, in Los Angeles.

Penn State is also bringing back about 237 students from Italy, and requiring them to self-quarantine for 14 days, in keeping with CDC recommendations.  Jones said the university is putting accomodations in place so students will be able to complete the coursework in the program, even if  they will be missing out on living there.

“We’re actually preparing contingency plans to bring students back from all locations should the need arise,” he said, adding that they’re also planning for students who had been looking to study abroad, but who might not be able to now.

Programs in Japan and Vietnam were also canceled.

The university is following the guidelines from the CDC and World Health Organization. Jones said the university is asking everyone in the community to be prudent and recognize the seriousness of the situation.

“We’re really depending on the public spirit and common sense of students, faculty and staff to monitor themselves and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and others,” he said.

There are no known cases of coronavirus at Penn State or in Pennsylvania at this time.

A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.

Learn More