Students attending post-secondary school in London, Ont., are expected to attend classes as usual despite climbing numbers of COVID-19 cases across the province.
Sudbury confirmed its first case of the novel-coronavirus Wednesday, and by noon, Laurentian University announced it would be suspending in-person classes.
In an official statement released by Western University on Wednesday, president Alan Shepard said there has been no indication from the Middlesex-London Health Unit that classes should be cancelled.
But, he said, planning is “well underway to provide flexible options should Western need to move to online-only learning.”
However, Western has cancelled future university-sanctioned international travel for all students until June 1, and recommends its staff and students avoid travel to regions with active health notices for COVID-19.
The school briefly told 980 CFPL “discussions are ongoing.”
Both schools state they take direction and shares information from “federal, provincial and local health authorities.”
But the Middlesex-London Health Unit told 980 CFPL Wednesday evening there are no set guidelines to be followed when determining whether schools should close down in this situation.
Western University have expressed the possibility of cancelling a March Break Open House scheduled for Saturday.
The statement said the school is “also receiving inquiries related to Congress 2020 and Convocation and, at this time, it is premature to make decisions as these events are months away.”
It adds planning is underway to provide students with online learning options if in-person classes were to close, which is how some students at Laurentian University are keeping up in their courses.
Other courses are already delivered through remote means.
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