Staff Reports

Northwestern State University has suspended all international travel for both faculty and students according to a statement from NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio on Tuesday.

It’s one of the precautions NSU is taking to protect the university community from the coronavirus.

“The health and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff and campus visitors is paramount as NSU plans and prepares for all foreseeable contingencies of this rapidly evolving situation,” Maggio said.

The university has not yet issued a policy on domestic trips, but some domestic travel has been affected.

A planned conference trip this week to New York City for student media employees was cancelled Tuesday due to coronavirus concerns.

Staff members of the Current Sauce and Potpourri planned to attend the College Media Association Conference Wednesday through Saturday.

Kenneth Burns, student media coordinator, decided to cancel the trip.

“I was concerned about the students’ health and mine and also about the risk of people here getting infected if we brought the virus back,” Burns said. 

There are now three presumptive positive cases of coronavirus in Louisiana according to a statement Gov. John Bel Edwards issued Tuesday. All are in the New Orleans area.

“We know testing for COVID-19 is expanding this week as commercial labs come on board,” Edwards said. “We expect to see more presumptive positives in the coming days and weeks and I am asking all Louisianans to remain vigilant as we work to contain the spread of this and other illness.”