Travel Advisory: Level 4 – The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of #COVID19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the US should arrange for immediate return.
Alachua County Public Schools is following in the footsteps of professional and collegiate athletics by officially halting all extra circular activities including sporting events and practices.
Furthermore, sports leagues across the world are facing cancellations and postponements in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The first cancellation of sporting events took place Wednesday, March 11. The cancellation of the 2020 College Basketball Invitational sparked a movement across sports.
County Cancels High School Events
On Friday, the county released a statement cancelling all extra circular activities through March 31. In addition, Alachua County has closed schools until March 30.
March 13, 2020, 5:15 p.m. – Santa Fe College announced it will be moving toward online classes beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, and will continue through at least March 30, 2020.
All students will receive further guidance from their academic department and/or instructor before their scheduled class.
The Northwest Campus and all SF centers will be open and staffed as usual and continuing to provide student services. The College will continue to remain operational so long as it is safe and based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the Florida Department of Health and local health agencies.
The Florida Department of Education has directed schools statewide to close their doors for two weeks, according to press releases from several counties in Tampa and Central Florida. During the closure, the state said schools should cancel all extracurricular activities, as well as thoroughly clean their campuses.
Schools are set to reopen on Monday, March 30. State testing will also reportedly be delayed by at least two weeks.
Based on the latest developments and the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Southeastern Conference today announced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville
In response to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, the NCAA announced Wednesday that fans will not be able to attend its championships including the 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments.
“I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” NCAA President Mark Emmert in a statement. “While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States.”
The State University System of Florida is asking all universities to switch to remote instruction as soon as possible and to encourage students who live on-campus to return home for at least two weeks.
Campuses will remain open, and operations will continue, but officials with the state university system said remote instruction will minimize the health and safety risks to students, faculty, and staff, officials said.
Universities with students who have returned from spring break, which include Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida, have been asked to encourage students to return home for at least two weeks. Each university will provide detailed information to their students, faculty, and staff at the earliest possible time regarding this transition.
Schools at which student are current on spring break — Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, the University of North Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, and the University of West Florida — should direct students not to return to campus for two weeks following the conclusion of spring break, officials said
ORLANDO, Fla. — Any Floridian who has traveled internationally should self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the state, the Florida Department of Health says broadening its coronavirus travel advisory to all international travelers.
“The situation in Florida is swiftly changing,” Florida Health Department Spokesman Alberto Moscoso told the Associated Press.
The Health Department previously had urged self-isolation for residents who had recently returned from countries currently under a federal travel restriction because of outbreaks of COVID-19: China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan, as well as anyone who traveled on a river cruise on the Nile River in Egypt in February. Several passengers of that river cruise who returned to the U.S. tested positive for the novel coronavirus, including two in Florida.
It’s unclear how the new advisory would affect international airports in Florida, theme parks, cruise ports, and the state’s critical tourism industry in general.
