Three UCLA students are being tested for the coronavirus by the Los Angeles County Departement of Public Health, university Chancellor Gene Block told students in a message Friday morning.

The students are self-isolating off campus. Block did not disclose their relationship or possible connection to an exposure.

There are currently no positive cases for COVID-19 on the UCLA campus. Block said that school officials are “actively monitoring and responding to the situation” and will keep students privy to any updates.

“At this time, there have been no recommendations by (the health department) to suspend campus operations, including modifying class schedules,” Block said.

Block asked students to seek medical attention if they developed flulike symptoms.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

As UCLA awaits testing results, officials already have stepped up preventive measures. Like other UC campuses, UCLA has added more hand sanitizer stations, increased cleanings with antiviral and antibacterial solutions and employed electrostatic sprayer systems to disinfect hard-to-reach surfaces in high-use areas.

UCLA also is preparing to expand the use of remote tools to stream lectures, create online meeting spaces and administer tests should the campus suspend in-person classes, as the University of Washington announced it would do beginning Monday.

Campus health experts are holding information sessions to answer questions, debunk rumors and provide resources. The next one is scheduled for Monday and will be livestreamed; updated information can be found on UCLA’s website for COVID-19.

In addition, UCLA is prohibiting official university travel to China, South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan and “strongly discourages” personal travel to those countries because of their risk level as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to campus guidance. Any traveler arriving from these areas must self-isolate for 14 days. The university will keep residence halls open during the weeklong spring break, which begins March 23, for students unable to travel home.

Last week, UC Davis announced that a student who was placed in isolation tested negative for the virus. Two of the student’s roommates had also been isolated.

At least 12 counties in California have reported confirmed cases of the coronavirus. There are currently at least 60 known cases in the state, and one death.

———

©2020 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.