UConn Cancels All School-Sponsored Travel to Italy Due to Coronavirus Concerns

The University of Connecticut is cancelling all school-sponsored travel to Italy after new guidance was released by the federal Centers for Disease Control about the Coronavirus on Friday night.

School officials said all official travel to Italy has been cancelled and all study abroad participants there must return home to the United States as soon as possible.

UConn currently has over 300 students participating in study abroad programs in 29 nations including a handful in South Korea and 88 in Italy, according to the school.

"Students who are returning to UConn from overseas will be provided online and remote learning opportunities to complete their academic requirements. UConn also will work with them on other logistics to make the transition as smooth as possible," the school said in an email sent to students, staff and faculty on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, the school cancelled all official travel to China and South Korea, authorities said.

China and South Korea are considered designated Warning Level 3 nations by the federal CDC, which means that travelers should avoid all non-essential travel to those nations.

All non-essential school sponsored travel is now suspended to China, Iran, Italy and South Korea, in accordance with CDC guidelines, school officials added.

Currently, there have been no cases of Coronavirus reported in the state or at UConn, according to the school.

Other universities across the state are also taking precautionary action to protect students against Coronavirus exposure.

On Friday, Governor Ned Lamont said the Connecticut Department of Health will be able to test patients for the Coronavirus instead of sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.