Notre Dame To Open Campus August 10th

SOUTH BEND, IN (AP) - University of Notre Dame officials announced Monday the school's campus will reopen to students on Aug. 10, with social distancing, a mask requirement, testing and contact tracing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Notre Dame president, the Rev. John Jenkins, said the university will open to students two weeks earlier than originally scheduled. He says there won't be a fall break and the semester will end before Thanksgiving.

A view of a Jesus statue with the University of Notre Dame's Golden Dome January 24, 2020 in Notre Dame, Indiana. - America is in flux. Once stable jobs have become precarious, mass media that united have turned to cacophony, and communities that once appeared monolithic have been transformed by diversity. After driving nearly 3,000 kilometers across the United States, an AFP team has found consensus on at least one point this years election will be pivotal. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Shaun Tandon: "On the road to Iowa" (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

"Bringing our students back is in effect assembling a small city of people from many parts of the nation and the world, who may bring with them pathogens to which they have been exposed," Jenkins said in a statement. ``We recognize the challenge, but we believe it is one we can meet."

In announcing plans to reopen, the university did not address plans for athletics programs, including the football season, The university says it consulted with experts on its faculty, infectious disease specialists and a team from the Cleveland Clinic before deciding to reopen.

SOUTH BEND, IN - NOVEMBER 23: Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans try to keep warm while watching the game against the Boston College Eagles in the second half at Notre Dame Stadium on November 23, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Boston College 40-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

As part of the plan to reopen, the university identified facilities to isolate students who test positive for COVID-19 and quarantine students who have been in close contact, said spokesman Paul Browne, adding details on those procedures will be announced in coming weeks.

Notre Dame's students were sent home in mid-March to complete the 2019-20 spring semester online because of the pandemic. The university also canceled academic and other summer programming through July 6. Jenkins said those cancellations will extend through the remainder of the summer, with exceptions for students whose summer work is preparing them for the fall semester.

© 2020 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.