University of Louisville students will get a shortened two-day 2021 spring break, down from a normal week, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
University spokesman John Karman said the break was shortened to “encourage students to stay closer to campus.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports travel “increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.”
“Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19,” according to the CDC.
“Public health officials consider spring break travel risky during the pandemic,” Karman said, “and we continue to rely on those experts in our decision making.”
However, he said, “We recognize that our students and faculty need some time off to relax and recharge during the semester.”
Related: University of Kentucky, like other universities, cancels spring break 2021 due to COVID-19
This comes as many universities adjust spring plans due to the coronavirus pandemic that’s killed more than 200,000 Americans and 1,317 Kentuckians.
U of L also had a shortened fall break, while the University of Kentucky cancelled fall break. U of L self-reports a 1.93% positivity rate, or 703 positive cases out of 35,903 tests.
Spring classes start Jan. 11, and final exams end April 29. Spring break is March 4 and 5.
UK announced in mid-September it would cancel spring break, a move other universities across the country have taken to curb the coronavirus’s spread.
Earlier this month, Western Kentucky University announced it would cancel spring break and end the semester a week early in an effort to “minimize the possibility of a COVID-19 flare-up on campus.”
This story may be updated.
Reach breaking news reporter Sarah Ladd at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah.
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