To prevent the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) canceled classes effective tomorrow following Office of the City Mayor guidelines issued Thursday night.

The faculty and staff shall continue to report for work until further notice, the memo stated.

An emergency meeting will be held tomorrow to tackle issues regarding students’ final exams (originally scheduled next week), completion of requirements, alternative computation of grades, and summer classes.

The city government Thursday night called all schools to cancel classes in all units and “immediately shift to online sessions and take home assignments.”

“All recognition and graduation ceremonies should be postponed until after the public health emergency is lifted,” it added.

Last March 10, AdDU issued a memo postponing the graduation, recognition, and moving-up ceremonies of all students, following an earlier directive by the city government.

Yesterday, Mindanao recorded its first confirmed case of a 54-year-old male confined at the Northen Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City.

On Wednesday, World Health Organization declared COVID-19 crisis a pandemic.

AdDU urged the community to remain calm and cooperate with government officials.

As of writing, Department of Health announced three additional cases, totaling confirmed cases in the country to 52.