Duke will extend its ban on University-sponsored events until May 7 and shut down public buildings to visitors, Vice President for Administration Kyle Cavanaugh wrote in an email to the Duke community Friday afternoon.
The buildings shutting their doors to visitors include the Duke Chapel, the Rubenstein Arts Center, the Nasher Museum of Art and Café, Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Sarah P. Duke Gardens and Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center. In addition, all main campus buildings will require a DukeCard for entry beginning March 13 and continuing through the weekend.
"While we had hoped to continue a reduced schedule of access to Duke’s treasured community spaces, that will unfortunately not be possible given that rapidly changing circumstances and the need to protect public health," Cavanaugh wrote in the email.
For now, students not pre-approved to stay on campus will have restricted DukeCard access to all residence halls starting March 16 at noon, but that could change, according to the Keep Learning website.
The Chapel will still have a weekly worship service that will be streamed online and broadcasted through radio and television.
Cavanaugh's Friday email is the latest in a bevy of communications from the University regarding the spread of COVID-19. President Vincent Price announced Tuesday that Duke would be shifting to online classes beginning March 23, but cited no end date, reflecting the changing nature of the virus.
Since then, the University has decided to move in-person undergraduate classes online for the remainder of the semester.
Read The Chronicle's FAQ about how the coronavirus has affected Duke here.
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