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The coronavirus pandemic brought life as we know it to a screeching halt, shutting down businesses, college campuses, and putting cities on lockdown. NYU was one of the first schools impacted due to its location in the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, but things could soon be getting back to normal.
According to a recent announcement, New York University plans to resume in-person classes in the upcoming fall semester.
University Provost Katherine Fleming announced the news in an email to students this week.
“When this past academic year began, none of us could have imagined the situation in which we now find ourselves, both across the country and around the world,” Fleming wrote. “With COVID-19 still very much a presence in our lives, I’m sure you must be wondering what next year will be like … We’re planning to reconvene in person, with great care, in the fall … I can’t pretend that 2020-21 will be a typical academic year.
“We’ll be living with safety measures and will have to be highly flexible so we can respond to a changing landscape. I can promise you, however, that our goal is to enable you to stay on track academically in a way that works best for you in the current context and that maximizes flexibility.”
As part of its precautionary measures for reopening, NYU will provide all members of the university community with masks, while conducting antibody and COVID-19 testing and enforcing social distancing in the classroom and at school events.
Students will also have the option to attend classes remotely.
“No matter where or how you choose to study this fall, NYU will support you as you seek to meet your educational goals,” she added. “We are so proud to have you as our students, and can’t wait to see you in our classrooms, real and virtual. The university’s motto, which often seems abstract, has never had such significance: In the face of uncertainty and complex challenges, we continue to persevere together and to excel.”
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The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 92,300 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
