Coronavirus Pandemic: Marist Spring Break Extended to March 30

Marist College is extending its spring break period due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

College President Dennis Murray made the announcement at a campus town hall on Wednesday, stating that spring break will be extended by one week. This was later confirmed in an email to the student body issued Wednesday evening. 

“We are fortunate that there have been no cases of this virus on our campus, and as of the time I am writing this memo, there have been no confirmed cases in Dutchess County,” stated Murray in the email. “However, with students and community members traveling for spring break, there could be heightened risk when they return to campus. Therefore, to monitor the risk of this outbreak, we have made a decision to extend our spring break for students by one week.”

Classes will continue through Friday, Mar. 13 and will resume on Monday, Mar. 30.

The announcement follows a declaration made by the World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday morning stating the outbreak has reached pandemic levels.

“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and the alarming levels of inaction,” stated WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a press conference. “We have therefore made the assessment that Covid-19 can be characterized by ‘pandemic.’”

At this time, nearly 120,000 people have been infected with the virus, including at least 1,000 cases in the US, according to a CNN tally.

The address to the campus stated that residence halls will remain open during the extended spring break to accommodate student-athletes, international students, and other students who choose not to return home. 

Additionally, Marist faculty have been asked to start preparing for the possibility of moving all coursework online. 

“During my 40 years as President of Marist, this is the fastest-moving issue I’ve ever had to deal with,” Murray wrote. “Please know that, in making these and future decisions, I will always be guided by the most current medical advice, and the best interests of the members of the Marist community.”