The Cypress and Fullerton College Study Abroad program have officially announced their cancellation of their summer Kyoto, Japan as well as Rome, Italy for the fall semester. However, the spring 2021 Paris study abroad program is still being offered (More information can be found: https://studyabroad.fullcoll.
The 23 participants and 2 faculty members of the London trip have been safely brought back and are required to a 14-day self-quarantine mandated by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Fullerton College President, Greg Schulz Ed.D, stated: “Our team at Fullerton College worked around the clock to ensure their safe return while navigating a rapid pace of changing geopolitical responses to the health crisis.”
The program coordinator, Angela Henderson, claimed that they based their decisions regarding the safety of their destinations off of the safety ratings from the United States Department of Travel.
Despite Italy being listed by the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention) as one of the countries that had a level 3 and a nation wide lockdown and the current claim of the AIFS (American Institute of Foreign Studies) that all spring programs that are scheduled to got to Florence and Italy would be postponed.
Henderson stressed to the potential traveling scholars that the Study Abroad program and AIFS, the company contracted to handle the logistics of the trip, are always closely monitoring any public safety concerns of the destinations.
Some students are still concerned about their safety regardless of the information that was given to them because of the current public response and pandemic of the COVID-19.
The Study Abroad program is continuously and closely monitoring any further updates concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.