Stanford University shifts classes online amid virus fears

LOS ANGELES/ WASHINGTON DC: Stanford University has informed students that beginning Monday, classes will be held online for the remainder of the winter quarter because of the growing spread of the new coronavirus.

The prestigious school located in northern California made the announcement Friday evening, saying that it expects "confirmed cases of COVID-19 will continue to grow in our region and perhaps in our university community."

It said large group events at the school that has some 16,500 students will also be cancelled or adjusted.

In a separate statement, Provost Persis Drell said two undergraduate students at the university were in self-isolation after possible exposure to COVID-19.

He said both students had moved out of undergraduate housing pending the outcome of test for the virus.

"I know that this development will be a source of anxiety and concern," he added. "We continue to be guided in our actions by medical professionals and public health guidance, and our team of university leaders is prepared to take additional steps to safeguard the health of our community as they become necessary."

On Friday, two universities in Washington state, which has registered the largest number of deaths in the United States related to the virus -- 16 -- said they were also moving classes online.

Attendee at political summit featuring Trump has coronavirus

A person who attended a gathering of top US political conservatives including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Saturday.

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is one of the country's largest annual gatherings of political conservatives, attracting thousands, and in addition to Trump and Pence the February 26-29 event near Washington also featured several Cabinet members and top White House officials.

"The exposure occurred previous to the conference. A New Jersey hospital tested the person, and CDC confirmed the positive result," the event's organizer American Conservative Union tweeted, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The individual is quarantined and under medical care in New Jersey.

"This attendee had no interaction with the President or the Vice President and never attended the events in the main hall," the statement added.

COVID-19 is spread via small droplets from the nose and mouth of an infected person, and is thought to be able to survive on surfaces for a few hours up to several days, the World Health Organization says.