Lindenwood to cancel in-person classes for rest of month amid coronavirus concerns
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Lindenwood University announced Thursday that due to concerns over the coronavirus, all on-campus classes will be switched to “virtual classes” until March 29.
Both the St. Charles and Belleville campuses are included in the ruling. There are no confirmed cases of the virus at either campus.
“In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Lindenwood University has determined it will switch entirely to virtual classes from March 13 to 29 for all class sessions at all locations,” the university said in a news release.
“Residential students, who are on spring break through March 15, are strongly encouraged not to return to campus if possible,” the school said in the news release.
Lindenwood’s decision follows announcements that other universities in the St. Louis region have canceled on-campus classes to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The university said it will “reassess” the situation later in the month on whether to resume on-campus classes.
“Lindenwood’s number one priority is the health and well-being of our students, the campus community, and the community as a whole,” said Lindenwood President John Porter in the news release. “We feel this move is the responsible course of action to limit the spread of this virus.”
Lindenwood said there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Lindenwood students, faculty or staff.
The university announced last year that the daytime program on the Belleville campus would be shut down in May.
The Belleville campus on West Main Street has 577 students for day and evening classes. There are 211 students who are residents and 366 are commuters, according to Lindenwood.
About coronavirus
As of Thursday, no cases of coronovirus have been confirmed in southern Illinois or the metro-east. The nearest confirmed case is Ladue, Missouri.
For most, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for some parts of the population, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illnesses. More than 121,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 4,300 have died.
According to WHO, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
The Centers for Disease Control recommend several actions that can be taken to prevent the spread. They include washing hands frequently with soap and water, covering your nose and mouth when coughing, avoiding people who are sick, avoiding large gatherings, and staying home from work if you don’t feel well.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 10:26 AM.
