Students Alter Travel Plans Due To Coronavirus

As awareness of COVID-19, a novel form of coronavirus, increased on campus, the Dean of Students Office communicated protocol and contingency plans for students traveling to restricted areas for the upcoming spring break. In addition, all students received an email request for spring break travel plans. The Dean of Students Office produced a form for students to fill out, detailing their departure and arrival. 

The U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory on Feb. 20, warning against travel to China due to coronavirus. The advisory explains that citizens who travel to the Hubei province in China and return to the U.S. may be subject to up to 14 days of quarantine, and citizens returning from anywhere else in mainland China may be subject to a health screening.

Administrators have already compiled plans for responses to international travel issues. “Every international student is asked upon matriculation to provide the Academy with an emergency host contact in the U.S. for situations such as [the coronavirus outbreak] which may arise,” International Student Coordinator Jennifer Smith said. 

According to Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty, the form was drafted in the fall term before news of the coronavirus outbreak. “There were too many loose ends with our information on student comings and goings from campus,” he said. “Then in late January, the coronavirus news came in. So we made two adjustments. One was [asking], ‘Are your plans final?’ And the other is [asking,] ‘Which countries will you be traveling to?’” he said.

With the influx of information, the Academy began to make plans for remote learning. “If somebody gets stuck somewhere, how are we going to make sure that we can get them back? How many people are going to be stuck? Do we have them take classes remotely and what does that look like to take a Harkness class remotely?” Moriarty said. “We're starting to gather that information just to allow us to be ready for whatever might happen.”

To evaluate students’ travel plans, the administration intends to align their responses with those of international health organizations. “We defer to the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control, as well as other groups like the U.S. Department of State for directions and threat levels,” Smith said.

In order to address the possible restrictions students may face when traveling in and out of the U.S. over spring break, Smith has worked to prepare travel letters for students. “In partnership with the Deans’ Office, I am collaborating on travel letters which students can carry with them during domestic and international travel,” Smith said. “These letters will confirm student health and attendance for the last several months to travel administration.”

Smith is also coordinating individually with international students and their families to make arrangements for those whose plans are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. “As the International Student Coordinator, I am working on ensuring that all international students, and especially those from mainland China, have a safe and secure plan for the upcoming spring break,” Smith said. “This includes but is not limited to providing ideas about non-Academy-affiliated spring break programs being offered and possibly finding host families for some students.”

The Academy is individually reaching out to students about their travel plans as the virus spreads. “Now, I can reach out to the students and ask, have your plans changed or have you talked to your family and do you need any help from the school?” Moriarty said. 

Moriarty noted that while PEA itself is not prohibiting any students from returning to an area in which coronavirus is present, governments themselves are performing and will perform quarantine measures themselves as they see fit. 

Due to travel restrictions and the chances of being quarantined upon arrival back to the country, many parents and students have expressed concerns about changes to their travel arrangements. “In the early stages of the outbreak, we didn't pay too much attention to travel plans as we thought our daughter could come back, but as things got more and more serious, we began to worry,” Melody Wang P’23 said. “The school responded instantly and Dean Moriarty and Mrs. Smith both gave us options for arrangements.” 

To combat the travel reinforcements, parents have the option to fly out of China before coming into the U.S. However, the travel has proved to be too lengthy for a two-week break. “Since I work and live in Shenzhen, China now, I have to go to Singapore first and stay there for two weeks before I’m allowed to visit the U.S.,” Angela Dong P’23 said. “It’s a very inconvenient process for my daughter and me to see each other, so I have given up the idea of seeing my daughter this break.” 

Many students have sought accommodation from day student friends as well as host families. In an email sent Tuesday night, Moriarty said, “We have invited day student families to consider hosting Academy students over break.”

In addition, students have voiced their worries for family and friends currently living in China. “I am a little worried about my parents,” upper Tony Xiao said. “The news about the increasing number of people being diagnosed with coronavirus is really scary.” 

Despite being separated from their parents over the two-week break, students are taking on this outbreak with high spirits and a positive mindset. “I'm sad that I won't be able to go home, but staying here with friends from Exeter also sounds like a great time,” prep Sophia Zhang, Wang’s daughter, said. “I'd say that we all are disappointed that my parents and I won’t get to reunite over break, but my parents definitely believe that I'm in good hands.”

The fallout from coronavirus has also affected the PEA spring break trips to Italy, where coronavirus cases have risen exponentially. Outside of Asia, Italy has the highest incidence of coronavirus cases. Two trips, one with the Classics Department and the other with eight student instrumentalists and the chamber group Gli Scalatori, have been canceled. 

“The areas of Lombardy and the Veneto are seriously impacted at the moment by the outbreak of COVID-19, the third-largest outbreak worldwide,” Director of Global Initiatives Eimer Page said. “These are the areas our music groups were to visit. It would not be prudent to take students there, and local reports say that school groups are being advised not to travel to those areas.”

Moriarty also said that the Classics trip was likely canceled due to the fact that three out of the five teachers were traveling to Italy, and the Academy feared they would not be able to return campus afterward. 

Many students are disappointed at the cancellation of the trips but understand the Academy’s reasoning. “Even if we were to go to Italy, all the venues would be closed. Saint Mark’s [Basilica] would be closed,” senior and Gli Scalatori member Beez Dentzer said. “It would be just us sitting around in our hotel room.”

Music Department Chair Kristofer Johnson, who participated in the decision-making, noted that disappointment was unavoidable. “Both students and adults were disappointed at the lost opportunity but seemingly in support of the decision to prioritize health and well-being,” he said. “[Gli Scalatori] and the instrumental ensemble will present a concert on Thursday, Mar. 5 at 7 pm in the Bowld. We are discussing if we might plan a short run-out concert in the spring trimester.”

Senior and Gli Scalatori member Orion Bloomfield agreed. “I’m upset— I thought the Italy trip would be the pinnacle of my Exeter singing career. But I think [the cancellation was] completely reasonable based on the situation in Italy. What if we went to Italy and all the flights back were canceled because of coronavirus, and we couldn’t return back?” Bloomfield said. “There was no way today that we could go to Italy.”