There has been a confirmed case of coronavirus on Soton’s campus

Students are being warned not to enter Building 53 over the weekend

| UPDATED

There has been a positive case of coronavirus at University of Southampton’s campus, The Soton Tab can reveal.

A visitor to Highfield Campus has since tested positive for the virus, and students are being warned not to enter Building 53 over the weekend, whilst the visitor’s steps are being retraced.

The news comes after the University announced yesterday that Easter break had been brought forward by a week, to yesterday, and summer graduations will be postponed, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

An email, obtained by The Soton Tab and sent to Electronics and Computer Science PhD students this morning, says: “There has been a confirmed case of coronavirus in Building 53. It was a visitor, not a member of staff.

“We will be starting a trace of their movements while they were here, and will act accordingly to ensure proper communications are sent out to you all.

“As a precaution, please do not go to Building 53 over the weekend.”

The email sent to ECS PhD students

Electronics and Computer Science undergraduate students have since been informed via a similar email:

The email sent to ECS undergrads

The Soton Tab spoke to an Electronics and Computer Science undergraduate, who said: “The course chat I’m in is going mental.”

Building 53 this morning

Due to coronavirus worries, tomorrow’s Varsity against Portsmouth Uni has been cancelled. Soton medical students have had their placements suspended, but nursing placements will “continue as normal”.

Update (16/3): In an email sent to students, the University confirmed the visitor came to Building 53 in early March and has now returned home overseas. They said: “Colleagues who were in close contact with the visitor are in self-isolation, and there are no further confirmed cases. Building 53 will be open for business today.”

Stock featured image via SWNS

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