New Hampshire Declares State of Emergency
On Mar. 13, the state of New Hampshire officially declared a state of emergency to combat the surging coronavirus risk. Six total patients in Rockingham and Grafton counties have tested positive for COVID-19. Though the risk to New Hampshire remains lower than in other states, Governor Chris Sununu declared this state of emergency to allow officials to have more flexibility in their responses.
Two days prior, Principal William Rawson sent a school-wide email announcing that the Academy would delay the beginning of classes until Mar. 26 and students’ return to campus until Apr. 13. Students will have online instruction through Apr. 10, and in-person instruction will resume on Apr. 14.
Rawson cited community interests in making this postponement. “We are committed [to] the health and safety of our community, In the spirit of non sibi, we are also guided by our responsibilities to our communities, local and global, to help manage this unprecedented public health situation,” he said.
Students must satisfy certain requirements to return to campus. Specifically, students must be asymptomatic and without a fever. They must also not have traveled on any cruise ships or to any areas designated by the Center for Disease Control with a level two or three COVID-19 travel advisory. The current areas with such a designation are China, Iran, South Korea and much of Europe.
From Mar. 23 to 25, faculty members will prepare for remote learning and adjust their syllabi. “We will communicate the schedule, which will accommodate both synchronous and asynchronous learning, once it is finalized,” Rawson said. “We acknowledge that we cannot duplicate the classroom experience with this plan, but departments began to prepare for this contingency during winter term”
In addition to this postponement, all sports will be cancelled until Apr. 18. Rawson’s announcement follows the cancellation of several spring break trips, including a Classic trip and concert tour to Italy, trips to China and several pre-season trips in the United States.
On Mar. 6, the College Counseling Office (CCO) updated uppers on the coronavirus outbreak’s potential ramifications on the March SAT. The counselors urged students to remain calm despite potential cancellations, noting that there would be additional opportunities to test in the spring, summer and fall. On Mar. 12, the office sent students an additional announcement about the April ACT, advising them to alter their testing centers from Haverhill High School to their local testing site. The April ACT will occur on Apr. 4, before students’ return to campus.
To alleviate concerns from the international community, Rawson directed families to the email address ncov@exeter.edu. He noted that student-specific solutions to coronavirus-related issues would be provided by the Dean of Students Office.