Monday, March 9, 2020 I Vol. 116 Iss. 26 INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM What’s inside Opinions Culture Sports The editorial board Check out our round-up of Take a look at men’s comments on the best spots to celebrate basketball’s upcoming criticism of Thomas Women’s History Month in run for the conference LeBlanc. the District. crown. Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 GW, D.C. OFFICIALS TACKLE CORONAVIRUS Mayor Bowser Health offi cials c o n fi r m s fi r s t refuse to test COVID-19 case GW Hospital in the District patient for virus SHANNON MALLARD SHANNON MALLARD ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Mayor Muriel Bowser confi rmed A patient in the GW Hospital was the fi rst “presumptive positive” case refused testing for COVID-19 after of COVID-19 in the District during a she spent time in South Korea late press conference Saturday. last month and developed respiratory The patient, a male D.C. resident symptoms. in his 50s, did not appear to have a Maggie McDow, a strategic part- history of recent international travel nerships manager at the rainforest or close contact with anyone with a preservation nonprofi t Health and confi rmed case of COVID-19, Bowser Harmony, wrote in a Facebook post said. She added that D.C. Department Saturday that D.C. Department of of Health is now “contact tracing” – Health staff refused to test her for identifying people who may have had COVID-19 because she had not spent contact with COVID-19 infected indi- enough time in South Korea. McDow viduals – and planning the next steps said she connected through a South in response to the presumptive posi- Korean airport on her way to Thailand tive result. and began experiencing chest conges- Bowser added that offi cials are tion, coughing and shortness of breath also aware of people who visited the Tuesday. District and later tested positive for “Do I have COVID-19?” McDow COVID-19, like another man in his said in the post. “Who knows. Do 50s who tested positive for the virus FILE PHOTO BY DEAN WHITELAW | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER we have a broken public healthcare at a Maryland hospital after recently system that is utterly failing during a spending time in D.C. health pandemic? Absolutely.” “We are making our best eff ort to She said she spoke with a man work with the health departments of from the D.C. health department states where patients test positive to Tuesday who took down a history of understand if there was any exposure her symptoms and travel history and in D.C.,” she said. recommended that she limit her inter- The Washington Post reported actions with others, wash her hands Sunday that the D.C. patient with frequently and wear a mask in public. COVID-19 is Rector Timothy Cole, The representative from the health the highest-ranking clergy at Christ department said the department Church Georgetown, an Episcopal would monitor her case, she said. church. Cole has been hospitalized After her symptoms worsened since Thursday in stable condition, Wednesday night, McDow said she and church offi cials are reaching out spoke to a diff erent offi cial from the to congregants and have canceled D.C. health department unfamiliar Sunday services, The Post reported. with her case who told her she did not Eleven people in the District – in- need to self-quarantine and to treat her cluding Cole – are currently being illness like a cold or the fl u. She said monitored and have been tested for the woman directed her to ask her COVID-19, according to the latest data doctor to recommend that she be test- from the public health lab in the D.C. ed, but McDow said the doctor told her Department of Forensic Sciences. Ten that her offi ce lacked the “capacity” to of the 11 tests came back negative, ac- deal with COVID-19 and directed her cording to the lab. to go to the emergency room. Bowser said she will not yet de- South Korea is under the Center for clare a state of emergency because Disease Control and Prevention’s Lev- the unique structure of D.C.’s govern- el Three risk category, which advises ment gives her the ability to allocate Americans to avoid any non-essential resources to address COVID-19 with- travel to the country. Offi cials are re- out taking that drastic step. She said quiring students returning to the U.S. events like the annual Cherry Blos- from South Korea to “self-isolate” for som Festival will continue as planned. 14 days. See RESPONSE Page 4 FILE PHOTO BY ALEXANDER WELLING | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR See MCDOW Page 4 Classes, housing options in fl ux as students return from China, Italy programs CIARA REGAN & provost for international programs, MAKENA ROBERTS said the offi ce is working with STAFF WRITERS more than 35 students in Italian GW-approved programs to accom- Students returning from abroad modate class changes and fi nancial amid COVID-19 worries said refunds. Scarboro said most pro- “vague” communication from offi - grams will continue through “dis- cials about their future plans for the tance learning” with the exception semester has left their housing and of a “few” courses, and all students academic status in fl ux. who studied in Italy will be able to Seven students studying in Chi- fi nish academic coursework they na and Italy, who were called home started abroad. in February, said offi cials did not “We are working with these in- give them the option to continue dividual situations in cooperation classes in person or guarantee on- with academic advising to provide campus housing for them for the guidance, recommendations and remainder of the semester. They other options to help a few students said the uncertainty has left their who need to supplement the online graduation status up in the air be- courses,” she said in an email. cause many of their programs ful- Scarboro declined to say the fi lled specifi c major requirements, number of students who have re- and their study abroad payments turned home from study abroad have not been refunded since their programs. transition back to the United States. Students who traveled abroad “It’s just been frustrating be- said offi cials have not reassured cause it’s like I am alone in this them that their academic credits whole process,” Isabella McCallum, will count or transfer to classes back a junior studying Chinese, said. home, and they cannot return to Offi cials announced last week a campus because there are “limited” FILE PHOTO BY WILLIAM STRICKLETT | PHOTOGRAPHER ban on international travel for GW- housing options currently available. Students who were enrolled in study abroad programs that were canceled say there are limited housing options back on campus. affi liated trips until July 1. Students McCallum, the junior study- returning home from abroad are ing Chinese, said she started a six- ternative abroad locations were out- “I’m in a situation where it’s fi ve classes toward her major, but required to stay quarantined off month program in Hamilton Col- side of Asia and did not match her very diffi cult for me to graduate on the Rome program only allows two campus for 14 days, while faculty lege’s Associate Colleges in Beijing, course curriculum requirements. time, especially because there are classes to count toward graduation on campus are preparing an online China in January. She said offi cials McCallum said she transferred Chinese classes at diff erent levels,” – one of which she petitioned to in- curriculum in case in-person class- told her to leave China in mid-Feb- to an abroad program in Rome that she said. clude. es are halted after spring break. ruary “immediately” and secure a off ered her the most transfer credits She said her original program Donna Scarboro, the associate spot in another program, but the al- of the options presented to her. in China allowed her to transfer See STUDENTS Page 3 Offi cials to reimburse students for canceled short-term abroad trips JARED GANS burse students for “demonstrat- ing in these short-term abroad related to the reimbursements. plete the “academic portion of the ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR ed out-of-pocket, unrecoverable programs who have directly in- Students should expect “initial program.” She urged students to program-specifi c expenses re- curred program-specifi c expens- outreach” from a staff member by get in touch with their academic Students whose short-term lated to airfare and lodging.” es,” she said in the email. “Given Tuesday regarding the process, adviser if they have any ques- abroad programs this semester The update comes after adminis- the unique nature of these indi- Scarboro said. tions. were canceled out of concern for trators suspended all non-essen- vidualized programs, the com- The moratorium on GW-relat- “We understand that this ini- COVID-19 will be reimbursed for tial GW-affi liated travel abroad pensation process will vary by ed travel will extend until July 1, tial outreach will not answer all their expenses. Thursday amid concerns over program and student.” offi cials announced in an email of your questions,” she said. “All Donna Scarboro, the asso- the virus. She said offi cials have se- last week. of us here at GW pledge to con- ciate provost of international “Because of the unusual na- lected a representative in each Scarboro said students en- tinue working with you as the se- programs, said in an email sent ture of this global health situa- of the schools and units aff ected rolled in short-term abroad pro- mester continues.