COVID-19 Student Update on March 2 at 4 p.m. – Level 3: Monitoring

From Denise Snyder, Wellness Center

Dear Students:

The Florida Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control today confirmed two positive cases of COVID-19 in Florida. These cases are in Manatee and Hillsborough counties and are currently in isolation. There is currently no immediate risk to the Rollins community, and the College is fully operational at this time.

The College’s COVID-19 Response Team continues to meet regularly, follow CDC guidance, and prepare for potential impacts to our community. The primary goal of this group is to ensure the health and safety of our campus community.

Travel Status:
The U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control have raised Italy to a Level 3 status – avoid non-essential travel. Because of this, Rollins has made the decision to not allow students, faculty or staff to travel to Italy on college-affiliated travel at this time. China remains at Level 4 – do not travel – and Rollins College policy does not allow any college-affiliated travel to any destination with a Level 4 status.

In addition, if you have travel planned over spring break, whether in the U.S. or abroad, it is important to understand that the situation with Covid-19 is changing rapidly. We strongly recommend that you regularly check the Centers for Disease Control travel information to stay informed. In addition, information about travel from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security is also changing quickly. It may be difficult to assess whether you will encounter any travel restrictions or issues with entry back into the United States. This is particularly true for members of our community who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

We have and will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 updates, but please keep in mind the following during this rapidly-changing situation:

  • Non-critical travel outside of your home country should be paused.
  • Practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of viruses. Please refer to this guidance from the CDC

If you have questions about study abroad or personal travel outside the U.S., please contact the Office of International Programs, 407-646-2466, gbeaudin@rollins.edu

If you are an international student and have plans to travel outside the U.S., please contact the Office of International Student & Scholar Services, 407-691-1158, jruby@rollins.edu

For students and families with further concerns, including student absences, please contact the Office of Student and Family Care, 407-646-2345, care@rollins.edu

For the most recent information, please visit the College’s Emergency site.