Princeton orders 20 students to 'self-isolate' for two weeks after travelling to China

Ivy League campus issues quarantine and suspends student travel to country following coronavirus spread

Princeton University has ordered 20 students who recently travelled to China to quarantine themselves following the growing threat of coronavirus, as the flu-like illness has infected more than 20,000 people worldwide and killed more than 400 people.

Students from the Ivy League university who recently visited mainland China, where the outbreak was first reported, were ordered to "self-isolate" for two weeks. Students were told to remain indoors and not attend classes or enter other buildings on campus.

More than 100 students and staff were initially under the quarantine order, but a new guidance issued by the New Jersey Department of Health limited the scope to roughly 20 students.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported only 11 people in the US with coronavirus.

In a letter to students and staff, the university also ordered that "until further notice, no students, faculty, or staff will be approved to travel to mainland China on University business or as part of a university-sponsored program".

University spokesman Michael Hotchkiss told NJ.com that "each student's needs are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure they receive appropriate assistance."

He said: "We recognise that self-isolation is a very challenging situation for our students, and we are working to fully support them while following guidance from government and health officials."

The university's response follows reports of a surge in cases as the World Health Organisation faces pressure to determine whether to declare the outbreak a pandemic.

Though only two deaths have been reported outside of mainland China, the death toll in the country has risen precipitously, with hundreds of deaths reported due to the virus or complications within the last week.

On Monday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued an executive order creating a coronavirus task force in the state to "coordinate all state efforts to appropriately prepare for and respond to the public health hazard" posed by the virus.

The state's Newark Liberty International Airport set up additional screenings for travellers entering the US from China, among several airports added to the CDC's initial list of international ports of entry with enhanced screening and quarantine efforts following the outbreak's spread.