Howard Community College moving to online classes for the rest of the semester due to coronavirus pandemic

Howard Community College is finishing its spring semester through remote instruction as the new coronavirus continues to spread across the state.

Starting March 30, all HCC classes are moving online for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

Last week, the college announced its spring break was being moved to March 16 through March 22 and, until March 29, all credit and noncredit classes would be canceled.

“The health, safety and well-being of all faculty, staff and students are the highest priorities as Howard Community College makes critical decisions in this unprecedented time,” Howard Community College President Kate Hetherington said in a statement Thursday.

All campus events are canceled through April 27, and that decision will be reassessed as new developments arise.

All HCC athletics teams have suspended all activities for the remainder of the spring season.

Across the state, other colleges and universities have closed for the remainder of their spring semesters, moving to online instruction instead. McDaniel College, Morgan State University and Johns Hopkins University have announced their students will not be returning to campuses.

The University System of Maryland announced Thursday morning it is likely to end face-to-face classes and move to remote learning. A final decision is expected to be made Thursday evening.

As of Thursday, there have been at least 107 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Maryland, according to state officials, with 16 of those in Howard County. Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that a 5-year-old girl in Howard County has tested positive, the first state case with a child.

Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Bowie contributed to this article.