By RogersEdge Reporter Staff
Coronavirus fears have prompted Loyola University Chicago to cancel all summer programs at its Rome campus.
The university announced Friday that the outbreak of COVID-19 in parts of Italy makes it unlikely short-term conditions will improve, resulting in cancellation of all summer academic programs and conferences at the John Felice Rome Center.
Confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy approach 4,000, with close to 150 deaths, the largest number outside of China.
“…In light of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of State’s Level 3 threat warnings for Italy (and its Level 4 warning for districts in northern Italy), as well as fear of prolonged spread of the virus from the northern part of the country and concerns of the virus being spread in the U.S., it is unlikely that short-term conditions will improve to allow these programs to run,” Loyola said in a statement.
Loyola is telling students enrolled in summer programs in Rome to contact the university’s Office of International Programs to make arrangements to travel to other countries.
Here is the official statement from Loyola:
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:
Due to concerns over student health and travel related to coronavirus (COVID-19), Loyola University Chicago has decided that all summer academic programs and conferences scheduled for the John Felice Rome Center (JFRC) for summer 2020 are canceled.
At present, the Italian government has ordered all educational facilities in Italy to be closed and is reviewing this decision daily without a firm date of when this order will be lifted.
With this fluid situation continually evolving, and in light of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of State’s Level 3 threat warnings for Italy (and its Level 4 warning for districts in northern Italy), as well as fear of prolonged spread of the virus from the northern part of the country and concerns of the virus being spread in the U.S., it is unlikely that short-term conditions will improve to allow these programs to run.
Loyola students who were planning to attend an academic program at the JFRC this summer are encouraged to engage with the Office of International Programs (OIP) for other opportunities that exist in countries that are not impacted by the current health crisis. As per CDC regulations, students are prohibited from traveling for study abroad programs in countries that are marked Level 3. If students are considering traveling to any programs in Level 2 countries, we expect them to exercise caution and excellent judgment since some of those geographies may have inconsistent health care and virus reporting infrastructures. OIP will work with the Loyola Wellness Center to ensure students that any replacement international program meets their academic, wellness, and international experience expectations.
