Contact: Sid Salter

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Citing an abundance of caution and the need to gain assurance that asymptomatic transmission of the COVID-19 virus is not occurring, Michael E. Newman, director of the Mississippi State University School of Human Sciences, announced Tuesday [Nov. 24] that the MSU Child Development and Family Studies Center (CDFSC) will close from Nov. 25 through Dec. 2.

The action came following a recommendation from the medical staff at MSU’s John C. Longest Student Health Center.

Center director Melissa L. Tenhet told parents earlier today that CDFSC will close today at 5:30 p.m. and tentatively reopen Wednesday, Dec. 2. “This step is being taken as a precaution for everyone due to the current number of COVID-19 positive cases in center staff,” said Tenhet. “If we are notified of a longer closure then we will reach out to parents via email with additional information as provided by the MSU Longest Health Center COVID-19 staff.”

Newman said the facility’s full staff will be offered testing for COVID-19 during the break to make sure asymptomatic spreading of the virus is not occurring. “If all goes well, we should have nine of our 11 classrooms open by Thursday, Dec. 3,” Newman said. Two classrooms will remain closed due to prior precautionary quarantine.

“At this point, we do not believe that any child has contracted the virus at our center and these measures are taken to continue to aggressively safeguard the children and their families,” Newman said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to keep everyone who utilizes our center as safe as humanly possible.”

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.