Monday, February 24, 2020 2:58AM EST

The Italian government has put into place new rules to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy. Because of this, we are canceling the field trips to Venice and Milan that were scheduled for this upcoming week. All of our regularly scheduled classes and other academic activities at our Florence campus, Palazzo Vettori, will occur as scheduled. Information about alternative activities and field trips will be shared in the near future. We also ask that you avoid travel to cities at risk with the coronavirus that you may have planned individually and are not a scheduled Kent State Florence trip.

At this time, the city of Florence has not been affected by the coronavirus. Coronavirus infection rates are still very low, and the same steps you take to prevent the spread of the flu and the common cold will also help prevent the spread of corona virus:

  • Wash hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others.
  • Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
  • Clean your doorknobs, light switches and areas commonly touched with disinfectant wipes frequently.

If you are currently experiencing symptoms (fever and cough), you should call 1500 to reach the call center for health emergencies that is managed by the Italian Ministry of Health. Currently, there are no vaccines available to prevent novel coronavirus infections. If you have not done so already, we strongly encourage you to enroll in the U.S. State Department’s STEP Traveler program at https://step.state.gov/. You can also learn more at the following websites:

We are monitoring the situation with the Kent Campus, and more information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.

You can contact the Kent State Florence emergency number at +39-3711635353 (available 24/7) and/or you can call me directly anytime at +39-3487223450 if you have any questions or concerns.