Though the curfew is only a recommendation, all “non-essential retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses” will be forced to close after 8 p.m. each night.
On Sunday, a third University staff member tested positive for COVID-19, according to an exclusive statement to The Daily Princetonian from University Deputy Spokesperson Mike Hotchkiss.
Citing a declaration from the World Health Organization of COVID-19’s status as a pandemic and heightened alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University is recalling students from Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Kenya, Panama, the Middle East/North Africa region, Singapore, and South Africa.
On Saturday, March 14, Senior Associate Dean of the College Claire M. Fowler, wrote to the Class of 2020 regarding a change in the exemption status for senior thesis accommodations. “Only a small number of seniors who have been identified by their departments as having a critical need to access campus resources to complete their thesis requirement will be permitted to stay,” she wrote. “The key word here is ‘critical.’”
The first staff member had previously tested positive on Friday, March 13. Both of the staff members will remain in self-isolation, and the University stated it is “working to ensure they have the support and access to care that they need.”
Forced to monitor the evolving crises both in the United States and abroad, international students continue to grapple with unanswered questions, most pressingly whether they can and should stay on campus.
The Department of Public Safety “may document these large gatherings,” and according to the email, students should “expect disciplinary consequences.” Failure to disburse may result in arrest for disorderly conduct.
The second staff member possibly exposed to the virus at an off-campus gathering is still self-isolating — with their result still pending. The undergraduate student tested for COVID-19 yesterday after exhibiting flu-like symptoms also “continues to remain in isolation.”
“We live in a small, interconnected town,” Lempert wrote. “The University and larger community are tied together in multiple ways. So when we put social distancing protocols in place, it makes it more challenging to meet and interact with each other and the general energy level in the town feels quieter.”
"We understand that our residents are concerned about this rapidly evolving situation, and we're determined to take whatever steps are necessary to minimize the risks for the people of Mercer County," Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said.
Given the timing of the Administration’s announcement, the students were given less than two days to pack their bags.
According to students at Dillon Gym, students who are leaving before noon on Friday are being allowed to take “two boxes and a roll of tape each.” Those leaving after that time are being instructed to come back “at 9 a.m.” on Friday morning, at which point the full supply of four boxes and two rolls of tape will be available.
The two University staff members in self-quarantine as announced on Tuesday are also “awaiting their results.”
Classes will move online for the rest of the semester. Students who do not meet specific criteria will lose prox access by March 19.
In accordance with Interclub Council policy, eating clubs will be closed to all members until April 5. Displaced upperclass students who remain on campus will be allowed to eat for free in University dining halls.
The World Health Organization announced Wednesday morning that the COVID-19 outbreak is now officially considered a “pandemic.”
The emergency announcement was made on Tuesday, and effective the following day, to “allow UHS to focus its resources on preparations for and response to COVID-19.” Students whose appointments are being changed or cancelled will be contacted, according to the UHS website.
The message also included language on how faculty members could apply the guidance of social distancing to exam administration.
On Tuesday, March 10, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver released a joint statement, announcing a man in his 60s from Bergen County as New Jersey’s first COVID-19 fatality.
The students pointed to the stress imposed by the COVID-19, or coronavirus disease, outbreak. Since Sunday night, when the University inadvertently leaked plans to move to online schooling after spring break, students, faculty, and staff have scrambled to make contingency plans. The University officially announced that plan on Monday, at the start of midterms week.
