COVID-19 forces Wits University to shut down for the day
BRAAMFONTEIN – Wits closes on 16 March and works on plans on dealing with COVID-19 in the future.
Wits has postponed all university-related activities to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The University of the Witwatersrand is following the rest of the world in dealing and fighting the now infamous corona virus. On 15 March, the university announced that all contact teaching and university activities involving face-to-face interaction are postponed, including tests 16 March 2020. The announcement comes a day after Wits confirmed that one of their medical students tested positive for the virus after being quarantined since 11 March.
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The senior executive team of the university met to discuss a way forward and made the following decisions for 16 March:
- All contact teaching and university are postponed, including tests.
- All students are requested to remain at home or to confine themselves to their rooms in residence. Students are encouraged to follow the social distancing policy and to limit interaction where this is possible.
- Special arrangements are being made for students who usually eat in dining halls.
- All graduations will be postponed until further notice. New arrangements will be communicated in due course.
- A temporary moratorium has been placed on all travel, both outbound and inbound, and applies to both local and international travel. This also means that people who have travelled into South Africa, should not be allowed to enter the university.
The university stated that employees will be expected to be present at the university to ensure that operations continue. Wits has requested its workers to maintain social distance and, where possible, meetings and group work should be conducted telephonically, online, or via video conferencing.
Wits has reminded all students, staff and the public to make use of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases’ (NICD) Coronavirus emergency 24-hour hotline number and to visit the NICD website if required. For those who are tested at independent laboratories, remember that these are preliminary results. All positive results must be verified by the NICD.
Wits stated that they will keep their students and staff informed on their plans for 17 March and the future after their after consultations with the Department of Health and the Department of Higher Education and Training. In the interim, student queries should be directed to the Dean of Students via Jerome.September@wits.ac.za whilst employees with queries should email their line manager, head of school or respective senior executive team member.
Details: National Institute for Communicable Diseases 0800 029 999; www.nicd.ac.za; Department of Health WhatsApp number 060 012 3456; Wits University 24-hour student support 0800 111 331.
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