Students living in Trinity’s student accommodation have been banned from hosting non-resident guests, both during the day and overnight, in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus on campus.
In an email sent to students living in on-campus accommodation, Neal Murphy, Trinity’s head of accommodation, said: “In all cases, students in Trinity accommodation are now prohibited from having non-resident guests on site.” This includes both daytime and overnight guests.
Murphy also wrote that “events involving large numbers of people are also banned until further notice” in order to “minimise the chances of spreading the virus”. This includes events organised by the JCR in Trinity Hall.
The email said that maintaining good hygiene is “absolutely essential” and said residents have “a renewed sense of responsibility towards the community”.
“Trinity has a strong history of welcoming students and staff from around the world to Ireland, and they are an integral part of our collegiate community”, Murphy said in the email. “Our thoughts go to all those affected by this outbreak.”
A separate email, sent this afternoon to all students and staff, said that “the member of the college community who was diagnosed with the coronavirus appears to have made a good recovery”. The email, sent by College Secretary John Coman and Acting Director of College Health Dr Niamh Farelly, also said that no new cases have been diagnosed in Trinity.
According to the email, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI), where the first case of coronavirus on campus was confirmed, is now largely functioning as usual, and that the rest of the college remains open at present, so students can resume normal activities tomorrow.
Farrelly and Coman, in the email, reiterated that “any student or staff member coming from high-risk areas as defined by the HSE should avoid coming into college for 14 days from the time of their return to Ireland”. This includes China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Italy and Japan.
The news comes after Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) announced this week that Council, due to take place in TBSI on Tuesday, would be cancelled as “a precautionary measure”. Meanwhile, in an email from Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC), sports clubs were advised that “all scheduled training sessions and fixtures will go ahead for now”.
The University Times reported earlier this week that the fate of this year’s Trinity Ball could be up in the air, after the College left open the possibility that it could be shut down if the HSE advises it.
An online petition was circulated this weekend, calling on the College to allow students to study at home following the confirmation of the first coronavirus case in Trinity. The petition, which has gained over 500 signatures, states: “We are the student who wishes to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19 in our school and in Ireland.”
“Up to 5/3/2020, there are 13 confirmed cases in the Republic and one of them is from our school”, it adds, flagging the “high risk of community infection”.
“What we can do now is avoiding gatherings so that the virus will not spread from person to person. Through online teaching, it still enables us to study from home.”
