Paine College was closed for at least several hours on Monday, Jan. 29.
According to signage posted on the gate citing campus safety, the campus was closed from 9:30 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. A photo on Facebook showed a person walking on campus in a hazmat like suit spraying something.
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In an alert sent to student and faculty, it said that due to the number of recent COVID cases on campus, the campus would be closed on Monday, Jan. 29 and classes would be moved to virtual instruction.
This was corroborated by an emailed statement issued by Helene Carter, the college’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, stating that Paine College President Cheryl Evans Jones, announced Monday that “out of an abundance of caution” and “due to a number of recently confirmed COVID-19 cases among the student population,” the campus would be closed temporarily in the interest of safety.
Carter further noted that the closure will allow for “accurate and thorough contact tracing, sanitizing, and testing to prevent the spread of the virus,” that classes transition to virtual formats, with all staff, save those required to perform essential duties, would be working remotely.
Faculty, staff and students will be required to wear masks until further notice.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
