Although a number of colleges and universities across Iowa have postponed students returning or reverted to online learning, the Marshalltown Community College will resume classes as normal on Monday, but the situation will be monitored.

Chancellor Kristie Fisher said administration meetings will be held daily starting Monday. She and other Iowa colleges administrators had a conference call with an Iowa State University physician and had the opportunity to ask questions about the correct action to take in light of the coronavirus being present in the state.

Fisher said since there are no local COVID-19 cases, it is recommended that MCC should resume but monitor everything.

“We are relying on experts,” she said. “We are restricting some travel. We will decide on Monday which travel that will be and for how long.”

MCC has a number of international students and Fisher has not heard if any of them are making or altering travel plans after President Donald Trump put a ban on many Europeans entering the United States. The ban was announced Wednesday and goes into effect midnight on Friday.

“I have not been able to talk to our international folks about that yet,” Fisher said.

Since the campus does not have a health facility, she said MCC will rely on Marshalltown clinics to take care of students who fall ill.

“We are working with faculty to do everything we can to support anyone with symptoms,” Fisher said. “Whether those symptoms are caused by COVID-19, influenza or anything else. We have good people here who care about doing the right things.”