Coronavirus: Australian universities say campus closures unlikely

Australian universities do not expect the coronavirus to force them to close campuses any time soon, as it has in China and Italy, but they are planning for the possibility.

The University of Technology Sydney said that it considered a partial or full campus shutdown “an unlikely scenario”, based on current events. “Nonetheless, the university has a pandemic plan and business continuity plans in place that allow for these and other measures,” a spokesman said.

Monash University said that it was “well prepared for a federal government declaration of a pandemic” and would “work with…authorities to alter our operational arrangements, as required”.

A University of Queensland (UQ) spokeswoman said that an incident management team had been planning for “a number of Covid-19 scenarios”.

She said UQ’s plans ranged from “scaling up common sense hygiene advice” to “increasing the scope for students to maintain their study online as an interim measure”.

The Australian National University (ANU) has an “advanced pandemic plan in place”, a spokesman said. He said ANU was “providing assistance with self-isolation” for students or staff who needed it.

“Isolation is a precautionary measure, not an indication someone is ill,” he stressed. “Anyone with symptoms is treated with appropriate protocol at the hospital.”

The University of Sydney said that it had convened a pandemic working group to “monitor and manage” the situation. “We’re considering a range of options to plan for different scenarios and mitigate risks,” a spokeswoman said. “These include provisions for increased cleaning and sanitiser stations, use of masks, online teaching and meetings, flexibility and support for staff and students, cancellation of larger events, daily monitoring of our community and more, depending on how the situation ultimately unfolds.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) said that it had “mechanisms in place” for a coronavirus outbreak. “At the preventative stage we have deployed extra sanitiser stations and communications to encourage hand hygiene,” said vice-chancellor Andy Vann. “In the event of an outbreak, we are prepared for additional cleaning, self-isolation and to close residences, or if necessary an entire campus.”

He said that CSU had also considered “the potential for our residences to be required by health services”.

The University of Sydney has taken preparatory steps to clear one of its residences as a self-isolation venue for returning Chinese students. “We are planning for several scenarios, including a potential lift of the current travel restrictions,” Sydney’s spokeswoman said.

On 3 and 4 March the university gave students living in the building a week’s notice that they may have to vacate, promising another two days’ warning if that need eventuated. “We wanted to ensure that our students had sufficient notice but wouldn’t need to relocate until it was actually required,” the spokeswoman said.

“These students would be offered a reduced fee for any period of relocation, and we’d manage the costs and arrangements associated with any move.”

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com