(MURFREESBORO) As China locks-down it country in an effort to contain the coronavirus, officials at Middle Tennessee State University are also monitoring the health of a staff members and students associated with the university's Confucius Institute in the Bell Street Center, along with the Blue Raider's sister-school, Hangzhou Normal University.

MTSU responded to WGNS' request for information about the coronavirus epidemic.

Statement From MTSU President Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

Middle Tennessee State University continues to closely monitor the coronavirus outbreak.

As of February 3, 2020, no MTSU students have been identified who have traveled to one of the impacted areas within the past 14 days or have physical symptoms of coronavirus. Both presence in the area and the presence of physical symptoms must be present to indicate the need for further testing.

The U.S. Department of State late last week issued a Level 4 travel advisory, also known as a "Do Not Travel" alert, for the entire country of China. This is the government's most severe warning and it expands the caution beyond Hubei Province, where the virus' epicenter, Wuhan, is located.

Therefore, in line with federal government guidance, MTSU will curb all students, faculty and staff from traveling to China on university matters or business until further notice. All non-essential, university-sponsored travel to China will not be approved during this period.

We are also discouraging the university community from personal travel to China, as the State Department has further advised that travelers to that country should be prepared for the possibility of travel restrictions with little or no advance notice and that most commercial air carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China.

Although the risk of transmission of the virus to our university community remains very low, we are implementing these measures out of an abundance of concern for the safety and well-being of our campus.

We will continue to update the University community as warranted.

By the way, Hangzhou is approximately 500 miles from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus.