Dalton State College moves to online only courses for the rest of the spring

Published 12:41 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2020

DALTON, Ga. — More local groups and organizations have postponed or cancelled events due to concerns about the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

• Dalton State College has moved to online courses only for the rest of spring semester.

“The University System of Georgia (USG) has decided that all 26 institutions, which includes Dalton State, will move to online instruction for all courses for the remainder of the semester with extremely limited exceptions,” according to the college. “This action comes following last week’s decision to suspend instruction for two weeks to ensure business and instructional continuity, and to allow further state assessment of COVID-19. Students are not allowed to return to campus until they receive permission from their institution, which will be forthcoming soon.

“Additionally, residence halls will be closed, with minimal exceptions for students unable to return home, or who cannot find housing elsewhere. Students will receive specific instructions from campus leaders regarding when they will be allowed to return to campus to retrieve their belongings from residence halls. Students must follow those instructions. For those students who are unable to depart campus, we will make every effort to accommodate these students.

“USG will be providing guidance to campuses on refunds for housing, dining and other services. Students should wait for their campus to contact them. Institutions will remain open, with minimal staff physically on site, to ensure continuity of certain services. In the end, we want to ensure that our faculty, staff and students are safe; that we do our part to help stem the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia; and that we fulfill our mission to graduate our students even in the face of these challenging times.”

• The City of Dalton has put all public meetings on hold “for at least the next three weeks.”

“Out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with guidelines on public gatherings suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies, the City of Dalton is putting all public meetings on hold for at least the next three weeks. That includes the next scheduled meeting of the Mayor and Council which had been scheduled for April 6. Rescheduled dates for meetings will be announced as soon as they are available.”

• The Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce has put on hold all events through May.

“The Centers for Disease Control an Prevention issued new guidance last (Sunday) night recommending the cancellation or postponement of in-person events consisting of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks,” according to a message from chamber officials. “In keeping with that guidance, we have decided to postpone or cancel all chamber events through the end of May. Business Expo 2020 will be rescheduled for the fall, and we’ll let you know when we have a new date. While we do not yet have any confirmed COVID-19 cases in our community, we want to respect the health and safety of our members and the community at large.”

• Due to the growing concerns about the COVID-19 virus and the susceptibility of older adults and children with underlying health conditions, Murray County officials are closing the Charles “Judy” Poag Senior Center, transit and the recreation department, with plans to reopen on March 30. When available, the new practice and game schedules will be posted to the recreation department’s Facebook page.

• “Color Me Healed: Rana’s Race for HLH,” scheduled for Saturday at Southeast Whitfield High School has been postponed. Organizers said they will attempt to reschedule if possible. Updates will be provided at www.colormehealed.weebly.com.