The University of Minnesota has suspended student travel and study abroad programs in South Korea for the spring semester due to COVID-19 concerns, according to a campus-wide email sent Friday.

The alert was sent by Campus Public Health Officer and Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar, and encouraged faculty and staff to re-evaluate travel plans to China and South Korea. The suspension was originally announced by the University’s Global Programs and Strategy Alliance on Thursday.

The suspension comes in the wake of “increased COVID-19 cases and concerns raised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. State Department,” per the email. Study abroad programs in China were suspended in late January due to similar concerns.

In the email, Tolar also warned students to take precautions when traveling for spring break, such as sharing contact information and travel plans with family members and practicing good hygiene.

Tolar reiterated in the email that there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on any of the University system campuses or in Minnesota. 

This is a breaking news report. More information will be added as it becomes available.