Linfield makes plans, including cleaning, potential alternative classes

At Linfield College, cleaning services personnel on both campuses are using disinfectant to clean “touch points,” such as door knobs and glass, to kill viruses such as flu and COVID-19..

The Portland nursing campus has installed 11 disinfectant stations where students, faculty and staff can get wipes and disinfectant. The McMinnville campus is considering the same steps, communications director Scott Nelson said

The college also is making plans in case students need to be quarantined or isolated because of the virus that causes COVID-19, said Patricia Haddeland, Linfield’s director of student health and wellness. Online classes may be used in place of classrooms temporarily, if necessary.

The college went through similar planning in 2009 when the H1N1 flu threatened to become widespread, Haddeland said.

Linfield officials are keeping in touch at least twice a week with students who are studying overseas, as usual, Nelson said. They are monitoring them as they would in any potential crisis, Nelson said.

One Linfield student has opted to stay in South Korea, where her study abroad university plans to resume classes March 16. Another is in Tokyo; she’s told the college she is fine and plans to stay in Japan for the time being, Nelson said.

He said the college also is in contact with a student taking wine studies classes in France, who also plans to stay put.

“We are working with them based on what they would like to do as the situation evolves,” Nelson said. “We will do whatever is in the best interests of our students.”