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Friday, March 20, 2020

DREW UNIVERSITY ISSUES COVID-19 UPDATE

The Concert Hall at Drew University

Dear Patrons,

After much reflection and consultation—and in light of the escalating situation involving COVID-19—Drew will not resume regular business operations at least through the remainder of the semester. Drew Virtual Time (DVT), with its associated virtual learning environment, will continue at least through the first part of June (instead of April 3 as we had previously anticipated).

Last week, Drew adopted the practice of social distancing and successfully began executing this plan on Monday, March 16. Since last week, the World Health Organization has declared a global pandemic, and the U.S. government declared a national emergency. The CDC now advises against gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks, while NJ Governor Murphy implemented aggressive social distancing measures, including the closure of all schools. (Drew’s plan met the Governor’s executive order requirements before the announcement.) In addition, all NCAA Landmark Conference and non-conference play is cancelled for the spring.

From now through early June, all events and gatherings on campus are postponed. This includes all Concert Hall events. We have been and are continually monitoring global and local factors, balanced with guidance and best practice within higher education, and will stay in touch with you about our plans for future on-campus events.

We recognize this situation may be an inconvenience to you. Though we have no reported cases of COVID-19 on the Drew campus, we strongly believe our actions give us the best chance to decrease risk in our community and increase our ability to respond to any situation with greater agility and resources. If you have questions about Drew’s response to the situation, please visit our resource page or call 973-408-3176.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you to The Forest community in the future.