As the coronavirus becomes a raised concern throughout the country, the state of Ohio and Ashland University are taking steps to prevent further spread of the illness.

On March 9, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced a state of emergency after three cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Cuyahoga county. Shortly after that announcement, Ohio State University announced they would be cancelling all face-to-face classes until March 30.

Universities around the state are taking steps to do the same after a suggestion from Governor DeWine.

On March 10, Ashland University sent an email to its students regarding a recent conference attended by students that took place in Washington D.C. where an attendee tested positive for the virus.

These students returned from the trip and resumed classes on campus for a week afterwards from March 2-6.

The email further disclosed to students that AU Safety Services and the Ashland County Health department have been notified of the potential exposure to students in the campus community. The students who faced possible exposure are complying with the guidelines provided by the Ohio Department of Health.

Hours after the initial email at approximately 8:17 p.m., students received a second notice that all face-to-face classes at AU are being suspended until March 30.

Classroom suspension begins at the end of spring break on Monday, March 16 and online class protocol will begin on Wednesday, March 18. The university plans to return to normal instruction at the end of the month.

The university says they will provide more information about accessing campus and university operations in the days to come as they focus on the health and safety of the campus community.