Villanova bringing students studying in Italy home amid coronavirus outbreak
VILLANOVA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Villanova University says they are bringing students who are studying abroad in Northern Italy home amid coronavirus concerns.
"Given the rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Northern Italy, we have made the decision to bring home our students who are abroad in Italy. The University is in close contact with other study abroad programs in which Villanova students are participating and will determine appropriate responses to additional disruptions caused by the coronavirus," the university said in a statement.
RELATED: What is coronavirus? What US health officials know about outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China
Villanova says they have a team of experts at the ready, meeting regularly to discuss how the virus may affect the campus and those who are overseas.
On Tuesday, U.S. health officials issued a strong warning about novel coronavirus, saying Americans should prepare for a "significant disruption."
With college spring break around the corner plans are being disrupted.
At the University of Pennsylvania, we met Woohyeok Yang, an international student from South Korea.
Yang says his family was going to come here.
"They didn't want to bring it to me. In the airport they could catch the coronavirus," he said. "My father works in the medical department. He's scared about Coronoavirus spreading quickly."
Local travel agents say customers are calling, some canceling trips.
Giovanna Chiti runs "Discover My Italy" on Locus Street in Philadelphia.
She's says she would never put clients, knowingly, in harms way.
"Follow your heart. I'm not going to push anyone to go against, you know, the comfort level for people is different," she said.
No confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the Delaware Valley to date.
