LA County declares health emergency

USC reassured students that no cases of coronavirus have occurred within the USC community and encouraged students to go about their usual routine following word that Los Angeles County had declared a local health emergency Wednesday after an increased spread of the virus in L.A. and across the country. 

Six additional cases have been diagnosed in L.A. County over the last two days, bringing the current count to seven. Gov. Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency in California Wednesday in light of the state’s first coronavirus-related death that afternoon. 

In an email sent to students, staff and faculty Wednesday, Chief Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman reiterated the University’s recommendation against international travel and detailed best practices for preventing the spread of disease, including frequent hand-washing and refraining from touching one’s face.

“Although this announcement comes on the heels of other news related to COVID-19 in California, there is no Los Angeles community transmission at this time, and no cases at USC,” the email read. “L.A. County Department of Public Health has stated there is no immediate threat to the general public. Los Angeles County residents, students, workers, and visitors are encouraged to engage in their regular activities and practice good public health hygiene, as this is the height of flu season across the County.”

In an email to faculty and staff Tuesday, administrators advised instructors to familiarize themselves with online teaching tools, such as Blackboard and video call service Zoom, so studies can continue in the event that the coronavirus spread worsens and students are unable to attend classes on campus.

“Please become familiar with these online learning tools this week and practice engaging with your classes using one or both methods so that if the need arises, you can adapt quickly with minimum impact to our students,” the letter read. “To help with this process, we have taken measures to ensure you have the resources needed to make these preparations as easily as possible.”

Brian Bernards, associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures and comparative literature, sent an email to students informing them of the backup plans requested by the University. Bernards plans to use Zoom, Blackboard and Top Hat if necessary.

“While there are as yet no reported cases of coronavirus among the USC community, USC faculty have been advised to begin making contingency plans for moving course materials to online and distant learning platforms,” Bernards said in the email. “If this ends up being the case, it will be — although challenging and definitely not ideal — a doable transition for the EASC 160 curriculum to be delivered through a combination of the Blackboard, Top Hat, and Zoom platforms.”

USC also posted a University-wide notification to Blackboard this week warning students and staff about the risks of traveling abroad and urging students to reconsider international spring break plans. The message cautioned students about the complications that have arisen because of the spread of the virus, including flight cancellations, quarantines and problems crossing borders. 

Van Orman asked that professors waive the requirement for a doctor’s note to excuse absences due to respiratory illness, making it easier for sick students to stay home from class and keep from spreading the contagion. 

In a statement updated Monday, the University said its Emergency Operations Center group, which meets daily to assess local and large-scale risks, was keeping abreast of developments in the coronavirus epidemic. The group has been evaluating University-related travel, accommodating housing for students returning from abroad and assessing whether to postpone or cancel certain campus activities.

“We anticipate adjustments to the way we conduct our teaching will be necessary in order to ensure our students continue to make academic progress,” the statement read.

USC has canceled several of its international programs — including spring break trips to Europe and Asia and semester-long study abroad programs in China, Italy, Iran and South Korea, all of which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated with a Level 3 travel health notice — amid the spread of the coronavirus. 

The CDC recommended universities cancel study abroad programs, which USC heeded with its cancellation of all remaining international spring break programs. 

The update came hours after L.A. County declared a public health emergency in response to an uptick in coronavirus diagnoses.