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Keeping up with COVID-19: a timeline of our coverage

<h5>The entrance to McCosh Health Center.</h5>
<h6>Jon Ort / The Daily Princetonian</h6>
The entrance to McCosh Health Center.
Jon Ort / The Daily Princetonian


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Last updated on July 23.

Welcome to The Daily Princetonian’s central coronavirus page, which features everything you need to know about COVID-19’s effects on the University. Every piece we’ve published on COVID-19 is available below. This page will be regularly updated with new and breaking coverage. To receive updates directly, subscribe to the ‘Prince’ newsletter.

We have also developed a COVID-19 Tracker, which will be regularly updated with information from University Health Services, the Princeton Department of Health, and county, state, and federal authorities. 

Recent Coverage:

July 23: Princeton Arts Council cancels Communiversity 2020

July 22: Certain fall 2020 courses capped, canceled, moving to pre-recorded format

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July 20: Students will know ‘whether a one-year leave is possible’ by mid-August, says U.

For story tips and questions, contact our News team at newsroom@dailyprincetonian.com. 

Milestones:

July 18: Eating clubs will close in the fall ‘for the first time in more than a century’

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July 15: ‘All student organization facilities’ will be closed this fall

July 6: First-years, juniors, and others meeting ‘stringent criteria’ can return in the fall, U. says

June 24: Labs reopen with strict social distancing, as U. researchers begin ‘Phased Resumption’

June 18: U. drops SAT, ACT requirement, cancels Early Action application option for Class of 2025 applicants

June 12: Fall study abroad, Novogratz Bridge Year 2020-2021 cancelled amid COVID-19 concerns

May 22: Sociology department suspends graduate school admissions in response to COVID-19

May 4: Fall semester to proceed as originally scheduled, whether online or virtual

April 15: U. will hold virtual commencement, postpones in-person ceremony to 2021

March 20: Reunions cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

March 15: U. requires all students abroad to return to their permanent residences

March 13: Staff member tests positive for COVID-19, town declares state of emergency

March 11: All students but those meeting specific criteria must return home for rest of semester, U. says

March 9: Courses going virtual, students encouraged to stay home after break

March 9: U. confirms inadvertently-released COVID-19 information was ‘under development,’ not finalized

In Sports:

Over the course of a few days this spring, student-athletes saw their worlds turned upside-down. With athletic competition canceled until at least 2021, there is still significant uncertainty about when and how athletics will resume at Princeton. 

Check out this timeline to see how the spread of COVID-19 disrupted Princeton Athletics. 

Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @PrinceSports.

On Video:

July 7: Princeton releases campus policy and ICE makes a dramatic change — Rapid Reactions on Zoom

June 4: EXCLUSIVE | Dean Dolan discusses spring decisions, fall possibilities for colleges amid a pandemic

June 3: Princeton Health Officer Discusses town’s pandemic response

May 18: Princeton students across the globe discuss COVID-19 and Reopening

May 1: WWS Dean Cecilia Rouse discusses the policy response to COVID-19

April 15: Policy expert Heather Howard, former NJ Commissioner of Health, discusses the COVID-19 pandemic

April 6: Hear from a Princeton student who stayed on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic

March 11: Princeton U. is sending all students home — rapid reactions from Frist Campus Center

March 10: Tiger Q | Princeton students talk COVID-19, international struggles, online classes

Subscribe to our Youtube channel here.

Past Podcasts:

‘Under the Bubble’ - on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts


‘Daybreak’ - on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts

Features and Analysis:

June 21: ‘It really seemed like we were in a movie’: Bridge Year Bolivia, political tumult, and COVID-19

June 14: Community through a computer screen: student volunteers adjust amid COVID-19

June 7: ‘The Nassau we all love’: Student group aims to help keep town businesses afloat amid COVID-19

May 7: In WRI 163: Contagion, class readings have become reality

May 5: ‘Answer the call’: Princeton students volunteer to help medical workers

April 29: Handstands, Hindi, and ‘Hamilton’: How Tigers pass the time in isolation

April 26: Two full-time jobs: Princeton’s parent-professors adjust to a new normal

April 23: ‘Letting go of the normal’: Princeton, pandemic, and religious life

April 21: Love in the time of COVID-19

April 20: ‘Gracias a Dios’: Unable to qualify for government assistance, undocumented Princeton residents turn to local non-profits

April 15: Pandemic perspectives: Elizabeth Bogan and Alan Blinder ’67

April 14: ‘Sharing compassion with a stranger’: Princeton Soup & Sandwich Company, critical care workers, and COVID-19

April 13: ‘All hands on deck’: U. researchers work to stem COVID-19 pandemic

April 9: Rethinking community: How student organizations are coping off-campus

April 8: A season, lost: Princeton athletes reflect on cancellation of collegiate sports

April 8: A look at how the U.’s response to COVID-19 compares to past pandemics

April 4: ‘Anything to not go home’: Forced out by COVID-19, some students face unsafe conditions 

March 30: Half-built hoverboards, forgotten fruit flies: the senior theses that never were

March 25: When the show can’t go on: COVID-19 and Princeton’s performing arts

March 24: ‘Safer for me to stay’: COVID-19, study abroad, and the risks of returning home

March 23: ‘The end of the world’: how students said goodbye to campus

March 23: Public charge, COVID-19, and how local immigration activists are adapting

March 13: ‘Everything I have is here’: international students and the COVID-19 crisis

Prospect Highlights:

July 24: The deer have taken over

July 21: Making peace with senior year

July 15: How lucky we are to be alive right now: Reflections on “Hamilton,” grief, and 2020

June 23: Members of the Class of 2024 unveil virtual, interactive campus in Roblox

May 8: What to read during reading period: Prospect Recommendations, Week Five [Books]

April 30: It’s the last week of classes, so wind back with these classics: Prospect Recommendations, Week Four [Movies to Watch]

April 26: Zoom games in the time of quarantine

April 23: Queueing Up Some Quarantunes: Prospect Recommendations, Week Three [Spotify Playlists]

April 19: Episode 1 of the Great Princeton Bake-Off (Quarantine Edition)

April 18: Getting crafty and creative during COVID-19: Prospect recommendations, Week Two [Creative Activities]

April 10: Quarantine and Chill: Prospect Recommendations, Week One [Shows to Stream]

April 5: Recipes for your social distancing needs

April 1: In photos: When senior year ends early

April 1: To the late meal California burger — oh, how I miss you

March 31: To all the memories unmade, photos untaken

March 25: In photos: A campus deserted

March 12: For all the frustrated Tigers

Coronavirus Q&As:

June 3: Q&A with Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser on Princeton's pandemic response

May 16: Q&A with @lonelycovidtiger: Jeongmin “JM” Cho '21

April 2: Q&A with public health expert Nicholas Christakis

April 1: Q&A with renowned health economist Anne Case and Nobel laureate Angus Deaton

March 5: Q&A with Sarah Kliff, health policy journalist

Editorials:

June 23: Princeton, don’t leave us in the dark

The Editorial Board calls calls on the University to be clear to its students, faculty, and staff about the policies it is considering.

May 7: U. needs to revise summer housing costs

The Editorial Board considers the price of summer housing “both arbitrary and unfair.”

March 22: The ivory tower is not immune to pandemic

The Editorial Board criticizes the University’s grading and academic policies and urges the University to rethink them.

March 14: P/D/F grading is the only responsible solution

The Editorial Board calls on the University to impose a blanket pass/D/fail policy for all students.

March 10: U. needs to reevaluate midterms

The Editorial Board supports the petition calling for the University to reevaluate this semester’s midterm exam and enjoins the University to act on its demands. 

March 10: Letter from the editor: Amid COVID-19 crisis, the ‘Prince’ carries on

Editor-in-Chief Jon Ort ’21 announces that the ‘Prince’ will suspend print production indefinitely but promises that daily coverage will continue online.

Opinion Highlights:

June 28: Committing to communal health: a student pledge to observe social distancing and COVID-19 safety protocols

With over one thousand student signatures, undergraduates pledge to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols if allowed to return to campus in the fall.

May 3: Princeton Graduate Student Union: Princeton should be ashamed

In a guest submission, Princeton Graduate Students United criticizes the University's lack of support for graduate students.

April 30: Why I would volunteer to get infected with COVID-19 

Guest contributor Isaac Martinez argues that the use of human challenge trials for a COVID-19 vaccine is the most ethical solution to this crisis.

April 26: Coronavirus and the media: keeping it in check

Contributing columnist Richard Ma advises a critical eye as we consume COVID-related media.

April 19: Disrupted life plans and the pain coronavirus has caused

Columnist Sebastian Quiroz urges readers to have empathy for others' situations during the pandemic.

April 9: Patterns in the pandemic: What racial data tells us and why we need more 

Columnist Julia Chaffers and Associate Editor Shannon Chaffers argue for the importance of more accurate statistics about the disproportionate effects of the coronavirus on people of color.

April 5: How to stay happy during social distancing

Contributing columnist Richard Ma advises five things we can do at home to make our lives better now and in preparation for the future.

March 29: Coronavirus, structural injustice, and moral responsibility

Columnist Sebastian Quiroz argues that everyone must take moral responsibility for the consequences of COVID-19.

March 29: On losing friendships to the coronavirus

Senior columnist Leora Eisenberg reflects on the fragility of friendships in the absence of physical proximity.

March 26: Digital living must be our new normal

Columnist Claire Wayner re-thinks sustainable living in the wake of COVID-19, discussing changing routines to a digital model.

March 26: When life gives you COVID-19, start learning for learning’s sake

Contributing Columnist Oliver Thakar argues that students should view the less pressurized grading system resulting from coronavirus as an opportunity to rediscover their love of learning.

March 24: The need for nature in the COVID-19 crisis

Columnist Claire Wayner calls for a cultural response to the COVID-19 pandemic that centers nature and preservation.

March 23: Coronavirus, AIDS, and the need for uncompromising empathy amid a pandemic

Columnist Emeritus Sam Aftel draws parallels between today’s coronavirus pandemic and the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in the 1970s, highlighting the disturbing apathy people have exhibited towards those most vulnerable to each disease.

March 22: When hate is more contagious

Senior columnist Siyang Liu discusses the consequences of xenophobia, which has intensified as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

March 20: Care amidst Corona

Columnist Kirsten Keels calls on her peers to support those in their home communities who are most disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 10: Letter to the Editor: A message from USG President Chitra Parikh ’21

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Chitra Parikh ’21 urges students to refer to official channels for information regarding the University’s measures in response to COVID-19.

Feb. 11: Racism and the coronavirus: quarantine Sinophobia

Columnist Richard Ma argues that the rise in anti-Chinese racism that has erupted amid the global coronavirus outbreak exposes a long-standing history of Sinophobia in the West.

Feb. 5: Caring for the community during a global health emergency

In a letter to the editor, University health administrators explain how Princeton has responded to the initial global coronavirus outbreak, which has included “comprehensive assessments” of almost 150 University affiliates who recently returned from China.

Feb. 4: Letter to the editor: Shortcomings in self-isolation after coronavirus outbreak

Several students who had recently returned from China and were subjected to self-isolation, amid global fears of the novel coronavirus outbreak, write that the University did not treat them with the consideration they deserve.

For letters to the editor, contact opinion@dailyprincetonian.com.

All Past News Coverage:

We will continue to report, and to update these lists as events develop. To keep up on other platforms, follow the ‘Prince’ on Instagram (@dailyprincetonian), Twitter (@princetonian), and Facebook (@DailyPrincetonian).

July 19: Financial Aid FAQ outlines three student budget plans for fall 2020

July 18: Eating clubs will close in the fall ‘for the first time in more than a century’

July 15: ‘All student organization facilities’ will be closed this fall

July 14: ICE rescinds policy barring international students with online course loads following Harvard, MIT’s lawsuit

July 8: Dean Dolan and VP Calhoun discuss new upperclass room draw, ICE guidelines, and potential gap year ‘lottery’ at open Q&A

July 8: U. to file amicus brief supporting Harvard, MIT’s lawsuit against ICE amid new guidelines for international students

July 7: International students with ‘full online course loads’ may not remain in the U.S., per new ICE guidelines

July 6: First-years, juniors, and others meeting ‘stringent criteria’ can return in the fall, U. says

July 1: Fall decision to come next week, U. says

June 29: U. to announce decision on fall undergraduate teaching on July 2, says email to First College class of 2024

June 24: Labs reopen with strict social distancing, as U. researchers begin ‘Phased Resumption’

June 23: ‘All teaching will be online’ in the fall, writes ELE director of studies to students. ‘Planning continues in real time,’ U. maintains

June 21: Colleges and universities across N.J. are releasing plans for the fall. Here’s what they’ve said.

June 21: In open letter to Congress, Dean Rouse and U. professors call for further economic relief

June 19: U. ‘considering’ allowing ‘limited number of seniors’ on campus for fall, says email to PNI faculty

June 18: U. drops SAT, ACT requirement, cancels Early Action application option for Class of 2025 applicants

June 17: NJ rolls out new guidelines for colleges, says ‘hybrid system’ of online and in-person most ‘realistic’

June 17: As Harvard goes test-optional, U. becomes only Ivy requiring SAT, ACT for applicants to Class of 2025

June 17: Panera Bread on Nassau closes permanently, facing revenue loss due to coronavirus

June 12: Fall study abroad, Novogratz Bridge Year 2020-2021 cancelled amid COVID-19 concerns

June 11: With stay-at-home order lifted, New Jersey will begin stage two reopening on June 15

June 11: ‘A second pandemic’: panelists discuss systemic racism, COVID-19

June 1: U. celebrates 273rd Commencement virtually

May 29: Federal Reserve Chairman Powell ’75 discusses the monetary policy response to COVID-19 at Reunions event

May 27: Dolan, Calhoun talk possible summer session, using ‘own lab’ for COVID-19 testing at USG Q&A

May 26: Math TA posted false solution online to catch students in violation of academic integrity

May 22: Sociology department suspends graduate school admissions in response to COVID-19

May 16: 63.4% of students “would seriously consider” leave of absence if fall is online, USG report finds

May 12: Off-campus orientation experiences to take place online for Class of 2024

May 9: Professor John Murrin, prolific historian of early America, dies at 84 of COVID-19 complications

May 7: Governments across the hemisphere unable to relay COVID-19 relief information to small businesses, U. affiliated study finds

May 5: Eisgruber told departments to prepare for an online semester. Here’s what they’re thinking.

May 5: At CPUC meeting, Dolan says U. cannot guarantee immediate return after gap year

May 5: Fall Bridge Year programs expecting delays due to coronavirus

May 4: Fall semester to proceed as originally scheduled, whether online or virtual

May 2: U. announces tenure clock extension for junior faculty

April 30: U. commits $1 million to local COVID-19 relief efforts

April 28: Former U. president Shirley Tilghman to co-chair NJ commission on reopening economy

April 28: U. evaluates options for fall term, including online instruction

April 27: Despite discounted summer housing, some students struggle to meet costs

April 27: Graduate student union demands universal funding and enrollment-status extensions

April 23: UHS updates terms of Student Health Plans, expands COVID-19 coverage

April 22: U. turns down its $2.4 M CARES Act allocation

April 22: Princeton Preview takes on a new look

April 21: Students on campus relocated to four buildings, Forbes College may be made available to the State of New Jersey if needed

April 19: U. withdraws travel-related thesis funding, cancels all on-campus research

April 19: University Muslim Life Program’s online Jummah service disrupted by Islamophobic ‘zoombombers’

April 16: Graduate School announces changes to grading, examination policies

April 16: U. updates financial aid policy, reaffirms commitment to affordability

April 16: U. clarifies transcript notation for spring term, U-sponsored summer internship policy

April 15: Three U. professors awarded NSF grants to study COVID-19

April 15: U. will hold virtual commencement, postpones in-person ceremony to 2021

April 14: Renowned U. mathematician John Conway dead at 82 from COVID-19 complications

April 14: Gopinath GS ’01 predicts worst global economic decline since the Great Depression

April 14: U. to conduct Title IX investigations remotely, despite COVID-19

April 13: Over 2,000 students live outside the U. timezone. Here’s how that affects class times.

April 13: Seven COVID-19 research projects receive over $500,000 in funding from U.

April 12: 65,000 donations and counting: how the U. mobilized community service in light of COVID-19

April 12: Group of U. alumni works to supply alumni in medical profession with PPE

April 9: U. freezes salaries, still weighs policies for tenure-track faculty

April 9: U. cancels all IIP internships, PICS go remote-only

April 9: McCarter Theatre suspends all live performances though June 30, moves to digital platform

April 8: Orange Key, Office of Admission offer online replacements for Princeton Preview 

April 7: Town Council hears COVID-19 updates, U. construction plans

April 7: Study co-authored by U. scholar draws attention in India as Modi orders lockdown

April 7: Two U. juniors return home safely from Morocco

April 6: U. physicist, colleagues develop ventilator prototype amidst national equipment shortage

April 5: U. seeks research proposals related to COVID-19

April 5: Butler residents relocated to prepare rooms for self-isolating students

April 2: First death from COVID-19 in town confirmed by Princeton Health Department

April 2: Alumni in Congress speak on COVID-19 pandemic

April 2: Two weeks into Zoom, students reflect on challenges of online learning

April 1: U. offers students prorated refund on room and board costs for spring semester

March 31: Forbes Main Inn designated for students in self-isolation, previous residents forced to move

March 31: Bridge Year students and EEB graduate student return from Peru with help of Embassy, State Department

March 31: University administrators answer questions about COVID-19 response over Zoom

March 30: Princeton Chinese Committee fundraises to fight COVID-19

March 29: Coronavirus lingers on some surfaces for up to three days, study finds

March 29: Two Princeton Police Department officers test positive for COVID-19

March 28: Staff and student COVID-19 cases rise to at least 37

March 27: PDF grading option extended to all courses as U. finalizes its policy

March 27: Amid shortages nationally, students struggle to access COVID-19 testing

March 27: Decentralized PDF grading policy sparks debate over fairness

March 25: Harvard president tests positive for COVID-19, as all but two Ivies revise Commencement plans

March 24: U. suspends all ‘non-essential’ research on campus

March 24: Princeton Children’s Fund provides emergency coronavirus financial relief for local families

March 24: University student among the ten Princeton residents to test positive for COVID-19

March 23: U. imposes social distancing restrictions, worrying some students left on campus

March 22: 5 students, 10 employees test positive for COVID-19

March 22: U. to compensate student workers for lost hours

March 22: Writing Center converts all writing seminar classes to PDF only

March 21: N.J. residents must stay at home, Gov. Phil Murphy announces

March 21: Multiple Bridge Year students stuck in Peru

March 20: Two more Princeton residents test positive for novel coronavirus

March 20: Princeton Public Schools teacher tests positive for COVID-19

March 20: Reunions cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

March 20: Room Draw schedule altered in response to COVID-19 disruptions

March 19: Graduate students petition for unlimited sick leave, standardized policy

March 19: U. grants students unlimited P/D/Fs for spring term, “encourages” faculty to consider “PDF-only option”

March 19: Departments suspend all undergraduate lab research, including for senior theses

March 18: One undergraduate, two more staff members test positive for COVID-19

March 16: Student's tests returned negative for COVID-19, U. says

March 16: Governor Murphy recommends curfew, closes restaurants and schools

March 15: Third U. staff member presumed positive for COVID-19, three new presumed positive cases in town

March 15: U. requires all students abroad to return to their permanent residences

March 15: ‘Senior thesis research or lab work’ no longer a blanket criteria for remaining on campus

March 14: Second staff member tests positive for COVID-19, student’s results still pending

March 13: Students found in “large gatherings” may face “disciplinary consequences,” U. says

March 13: Staff member tests positive for COVID-19, town declares state of emergency

March 12: Princeton municipality, community respond to COVID-19 crisis

March 12: Mercer County declares state of emergency to combat coronavirus

March 12: Students to receive free packing supplies at Dillon Gym

March 12: Students abroad scramble after Trump bans travel from Europe

March 12: Student tested for COVID-19, now isolated in McCosh

March 11: All students but those meeting specific criteria must return home for rest of semester, U. says


March 11: Eating clubs to close until April 5

March 11: Five attendees of a Feb. 29 party in town have tested positive for COVID-19

March 11: UHS suspends routine appointments, CPS moved online

March 11: Faculty urged to consider re-weighting examinations 

March 10: Petitions to revise midterms and prevent forced departures garner 5700+ signatures combined

March 10: ‘Six feet apart’: U. recommends social distancing, students question feasibility

March 10: First coronavirus-related death in New Jersey announced by Gov. Murphy

March 10: Two U. staff members in self-quarantine, GSS program affected

March 9: Courses going virtual, students encouraged to stay home after break

March 9: U. confirms inadvertently-released COVID-19 information was ‘under development,’ not finalized

March 8: Mercer County COVID-19 test returns negative as peer institutions shift to online teaching

March 7: Four new possible COVID-19 cases in New Jersey, including one in Mercer County

March 5: COVID-19 disrupts spring break travel

March 5: Q&A with Sarah Kliff, health policy journalist

March 3: Stranded, scattered, and sidelined: students face coronavirus outbreak abroad

March 3: President Eisgruber releases letter on COVID-19’s spread

Feb. 28: Panel of professors and disease specialist discuss novel coronavirus

Feb. 11: Told to self-isolate, they were four to a room

Feb. 3: U. monitors five students for coronavirus, China Bridge Year group relocates in response to coronavirus outbreak 

For up-to-date policy information directly from the University, visit coronavirus.princeton.edu and fall2