Coronavirus cancels studies abroad: Gonzaga pulling students out of Florence, Italy immediately

FLORENCE, Italy — After the outbreak of coronavirus cases soared 25% in 24 hours in Northern Italy, Gonzaga University immediately suspended all academic courses in Florence, telling students to return to their U.S. homes, instead of the campus in Spokane.

Sophomore Grant Oldfield was one of 161 Gonzaga students studying in Florence for a four-month program, who are now searching for flights back to Seattle.

“Needless to say, I was very disappointed,” he told KIRO 7 via FaceTime. “We were only halfway through this program.”

“We got an email from Gonzaga saying, unfortunately, the program is canceled and it suggested all students return back to their homes in the United States immediately.”

Until the announcement, Oldfield says Florence had been the experience of a lifetime.

But as of Wednesday, Johns Hopkins University reported 453 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy -- a number which increased by 25% since Tuesday -- and 12 of those patients have died.

“We heard there are about 50,000 people in northern Italy currently quarantined,” Oldfield said.

University leaders released this statement: “We’re concerned that if they remained in Florence, Gonzaga students are at risk for in-country quarantines, limitations on travel, and limited access to basic services,” said Deena J. Gonzalez, Provost, and Senior Vice President.

Oldfield says among the concerns is exposure to groups traveling by train.

“We’re surrounded by a lot of people and there’s positively a concern among me and my friends of potentially catching this deadly disease,” he said.

Considering that, he’ll leave, respecting the university’s decision.

“God forbid, if a student did catch coronavirus at Gonzaga in Florence, it would obviously look very bad on the school for not having made a decision to send kids back in the first place,” he said.

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