The University of St. Thomas will remain online for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester, university President Julie Sullivan wrote in an email Monday.

This extension comes after classes went online March 16 due to COVID-19. Originally, the online-only schedule was to last until April 14.

The decision to remain online for the semester was made after the White House recommended on Monday that gatherings of more than 10 people be avoided. This guidance overrides the Centers for Disease Control’s Sunday recommendation that gatherings of more than 50 people be avoided for eight weeks.

“While we do not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the St. Thomas community as of this writing, the situation is changing rapidly, and we want to prepare our campus for the next phase of response,” Sullivan wrote.

Students living on campus are encouraged to move out as early as possible before leaving for spring break. The university is waiving the $500 cancellation fee and refunding 20% of room and 20% of board for those who leave by March 29. Spring break is March 23-27.

“We understand that there are students who cannot leave,” Sullivan wrote. “For those students, including international students, there will be accommodations available on campus.”

Those students must fill out an application to stay through Residence Life.

The campus is not closing, Sullivan wrote, but limited hours will begin and some buildings will close.

The University of Minnesota also announced in an email Monday that it will remain online through the end of the semester. Its cancellation includes all graduation ceremonies.

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is also extending online classes through the end of the semester.

Emily Haugen, Carly Noble and Abby Sliva contributed to this report.