Topic: coronavirus

The University and the Rhode Island School of Design recently unveiled new immediate and long-term policies concerning the coronavirus outbreak, according to interviews, emails and a town hall hosted by RISD administrators.

Onésimo Almeida MA’77 PhD’80 P’06, professor of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, tested negative for COVID-19 coronavirus, after fears of exposure following a trip to Portugal during which he interacted with people who were diagnosed with COVID-19. The professor did test positive for the flu.

At Tuesday’s monthly faculty meeting, President Christina Paxson P’19 urged faculty not to panic because of the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Rhode Island and said that the University is “going to be prepared” if the virus reaches campus.

Onésimo Almeida, professor of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, said he has requested a test for COVID-19 coronavirus following a trip to Portugal during which Almeida was near someone recently diagnosed with the virus.

State public health officials announced Rhode Island’s first two presumptive cases of COVID-19 coronavirus Saturday and Sunday respectively after finding out that two people who had returned from a trip to Europe Feb. 22 tested positive.

In light of growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, the University cancelled its Brown in Bologna program yesterday, asking all enrolled students to make arrangements to depart from Italy.

On Feb. 19, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its decision to expel three Wall Street Journal reporters, including University alum Chao Deng ’09. The move marked the country’s first direct expulsion of foreign reporters in over two decades.

In light of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak, the University responded by advising students and faculty on travel and health precautions, preparing University health care providers to address the virus and reassuring the community.