Students at the University of Maryland will have to wait to get their belongings from the dorms, as the school follows health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The university said in a statement it is postponing in person move-outs from campus residence halls until further notice. It is working on a new move-out schedule.
“It is clear that the public health imperative of maximizing social distancing compels us to postpone all residence hall checkout activity,” the school said.
The decision came after Gov. Larry Hogan said Monday that “unless you have an essential reason, then you should stay in your home.”
The school had planned to allow students to return to campus between March 27 to April 5 to get their possessions and complete their checkout.
The university, along with other schools in the University System of Maryland, have shifted to remote instruction for undergraduate classes for the rest of the spring semester.
The school assured anxious students that their belongings will be kept in their assigned residence hall spaces. There will be exceptions for students who need to get medication, passports and travel documents from their rooms.
Students with any questions can send an email with their request to the Resident Life team at reslife@umd.edu.
With an earlier spring break on March 14, and classes canceled on March 13, many students have not been on campus earlier this month.
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