Replay Video
UP NEXT
1
Cancel
Coronavirus risk is 'low for the American public': Infectious disease chief
USA TODAY
See more videos
What to watch next
UP NEXT
UP NEXT

Editor's note: this story has been updated to include updated travel ban information.

Florida Gulf Coast University has suspended all school-sanctioned travel to and from China, Italy, Iran, Japan and South Korea in response to the global outbreak of the coronavirus.

The decision impacts students, employees and official visitors who may be traveling to the Fort Myers campus, explained FGCU Chief of Staff Susan Evans.

"This is a total travel suspension, including but not limited to study abroad, conferences, presentations, teaching, training, employment interviews, guest lectures, athletic competitions, recruiting, research and grant activity, performances and internships," Evans wrote in a Monday email.

Evans said it is likely other countries "will be added to the list."

"Nationally and internationally, coronavirus is a highly evolving and fluid situation," the email states. "We recognize that all over the world there are unanswered questions about the spread of coronavirus, including with yesterday’s two confirmed cases in Florida, but we encourage everyone to remain calm, stay informed, and practice important hygienic precautions … recommended for the prevention of infectious diseases."

a sign on a dirt road: Florida SouthWestern State College celebrated International Education Week by highlighting different cultures and hosting a study abroad fair. The college has developed many opportunities for students to explore the world while earning class credit - something few people think about the college, which has its roots as a community, or junior college. © pmccabe@news-press.com Florida SouthWestern State College celebrated International Education Week by highlighting different cultures and hosting a study abroad fair. The college has developed many opportunities for students to explore the world while earning class credit - something few people think about the college, which has its roots as a community, or junior college.

An initial travel ban to and from China was announced Feb. 21. It led to a study abroad trip that was planned for the summer being canceled.

The university is working with the 10 to 12 students affected by the ruling to book them for other study abroad opportunities, Evans said.

Until further notice, no other trips to the country are being booked.

Evans said the university does not "anticipate student enrollment changes due to coronavirus."

No cases of the illness have been reported at FGCU.

Full screen
1/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) A woman wears a protective mask walk in the street as man sit in the roadside on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
2/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) A customer uses an iphone to pay a vendor in alley on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
3/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) A customer uses an iphone to pay a vendor in alley on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
4/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) A woman wears a protective mask as she walks her dog and buys vegetables in an alley on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
 
5/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) The Roads remain empty on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
6/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) A man wears a protective mask as he rides a bicycle across the Yangtze River Bridge on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
7/7 SLIDES © Stringer, Getty Images
WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 31: (CHINA OUT) A resident walks across a pedestrian crossing on January 31, 2020 in Wuhan, China. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
7/7 SLIDES

Florida SouthWestern State College has made no changes to its study abroad program or international student enrollment, reported spokesperson Jennifer Young.

"FSW officials are actively monitoring the situation daily and are following the guidance provided by the student and exchange visitor program, state and local government health agencies and any state department travel warnings and advisories," she said. 

More: Florida SouthWestern State among 'forward-thinking pack of schools' for study abroad

The news of FGCU's travel ban was announced in an email to students, faculty and staff on Friday.

Michael McDonald, the assistant vice president for international programs, wrote that the illness' impacts, like quarantines and travel bans, are being felt in the FGCU community.

"Many people at FGCU are far from home and perhaps concerned about loved ones who may be at risk of contracting the illness," he wrote. "As a university community, we have a duty to become informed about this situation, take personal action to limit the spread of the disease, and support those who have been impacted by this event."

The decision to halt university travel to and from China was made after monitoring alerts by local, state and national public health authorities. The travel warning issued Feb. 2 by the U.S. State Department rose the level of concern as well, as the agency warned Americans not to travel to China.

"We also strongly recommend that individuals avoid personal travel to China until the State Department travel warnings are lowered," McDonald wrote in his email.

Connect with this reporter: pmccabe@news-press.com

Full screen
1/11 SLIDES © Renata Brito, AP
A Russian tourist dons both a carnival mask and a protective face mask as he visits St. Mark's square Venice, Italy, Feb. 25, 2020. Italy has been scrambling to check the spread of Europe's first major outbreak of the new viral disease amid rapidly rising numbers of infections and calling off the popular Venice Carnival and closing tourist attractions.
2/11 SLIDES © Antonio Calanni, AP
Police officers check transit to and from the cordoned area in Guardamiglio, Italy, Feb. 25, 2020. A dozen Italian towns saw daily life disrupted after the deaths of two people infected with the virus from China and a pair of case clusters without direct links to the outbreak abroad. A rapid spike in infections prompted authorities in the northern Lombardy and Veneto regions to close schools, businesses and restaurants and to cancel sporting events and Masses.
3/11 SLIDES © Claudio Furlan, Lapresse via AP
A woman wearing a sanitary mask walks through a shopping area in Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2020.
4/11 SLIDES © Claudio Furlan, Lapresse via AP
People, some wearing sanitary masks, take photos in central Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2020.
 
5/11 SLIDES © Antonio Calanni, AP
A man wearing a sanitary mask takes photos during the Dolce & Gabbana women's Fall Winter 2020-21 show, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 23, 2020.
6/11 SLIDES © Claudio Furlan, Lapresse via AP
Italian soldiers wearing sanitary masks patrol Duomo square in downtown Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2020.
7/11 SLIDES © Antonio Calanni, AP
Two people walk by a notice outside San Siro stadium advising that the Serie A soccer match between Inter and Sampdoria is cancelled, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 23, 2020. In Lombardy, the hardest-hit region by the spread of the Coronavirus with 90 cases, schools and universities were ordered to stay closed in the coming days, and sporting events were canceled. Lombardy's ban on public events also extended to Masses in churches in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
8/11 SLIDES © Emanuele Cremaschi, Getty Images
An Italian National Police officer talks to a driver in a car, wearing a respiratory mask, on Feb. 23, 2020 in Casalpusterlengo, Italy. Casalpusterlengo is one of ten small towns placed under lockdown.
9/11 SLIDES © Claudio Furlan, Lapresse via AP
A woman wearing a sanitary mask sits in a streetcar in Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2020.
 
10/11 SLIDES © Claudio Furlan, Lapresse via AP
A woman wearing a sanitary mask talks on the phone as she walks in the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery shopping arcade, in downtown Milan, Italy, Feb. 24, 2020. A
11/11 SLIDES © Emanuele Cremaschi, Getty Images
A couple, wearing respiratory masks, stands on a sidewalk in Casalpusterlengo, Italy on February 23, 2020.
11/11 SLIDES

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Coronavirus: FGCU halts school-related travel to and from China, Italy, Iran, Japan and South Korea

Read More
Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Feedback

Found the story interesting?

Like us on Facebook to see similar stories


Send MSN Feedback

We appreciate your input!

Please give an overall site rating: