SEATTLE _ University of Washington officials announced Friday it would cancel in-person classes due to the coronavirus threat but resume them by March 30 in time for next semester.
While students will be finishing courses and taking finals remotely, UW President Ana Mari Cauce cautioned she doesn't have a "crystal ball and can't say where we are going to be with COVID-19 three weeks from now."
In the meantime, the university has doubled the amount of cleaning and sanitizing happening on campus. They're transitioning some food-service items from self-serve to grab-and-go, officials said at a news conference on Friday.
Geoffrey Gottlieb, a professor with the division of allergy and infectious diseases, said the university is taking the potential threat very seriously as it has surpassed both SARS and MERS in terms of deaths and illnesses worldwide. "The scale of this epidemic is unprecedented," he said.
Officials said four students with possible exposure were tested, but came back negative. One faculty member's test has not yet been federally approved. That test came back positive, but will not be considered confirmed until the result is confirmed by the state Department of Health.
Meanwhile, nearby Bellevue College also moved its classes online for the remainder of the quarter, according to a news release from the school. The school informed students via email on Thursday.
"Students � instruction will continue for the remainder of the quarter," read the email, in part, "and every effort will be made for you to finish winter quarter classes. Your instructors will contact you regarding plans for your classes."
The public college, with an enrollment of more than 29,000 students, is open, with some caveats.
Among them: Supervisors are encouraged to allow their employees to work remotely through March 27; "non-essential events" on campus with more than 10 participants are canceled through that date; a computer lab will remain open for students who need to access to those services; the cafeteria will slow operations over the next several days and close for the winter quarter starting March 9. Other places to eat on campus will have limited hours.
