“De-densify.” That’s the word Harvard is using to describe its efforts to move people out of dorms and send them home. CNN’s Carma Hassan and Brian Ries report:
Harvard University is moving to virtual classes because of the novel coronavirus outbreak and the university is asking students to move out of their dorms in five days, according to university spokeswoman Rachael Dane.
“Harvard College students have been asked to move out of their Houses and First-Year Dorms by Sunday, March 15, in an effort to de-densify our community,” Dane told CNN in an email.
All academic courses will continue to be held remotely, she added. Harvard spokesman Jason Newton said any meetings on campus after March 23 will be virtual.
Harvard President Lawrence Bacow announced earlier on Tuesday that the university will transition to online classes by March 23, the first day of classes after spring break, due to challenges posed by the coronavirus.
Students were asked to not to return to Harvard’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after spring break “to protect the health” of the community. Students who need to remain on campus will attend classes remotely and should prepare for severely limited activities on campus, according to the university.
“The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings,” Bacow said in a statement.
For years you’ve read here that you should “de-densify” yourself. Move to the country, escape the city, or even flee the big cities.
People’s violent reactions to the fear of coronavirus, both in supermarkets and stock markets, are a tell-tale sign that they weren’t prepared enough for the risks they might face.
Despite the turmoil in markets and the media, there’s never a better time to reassess your level of risk than right now.
Read my entire series, Coronavirus Infects Stock Market here.
