#Columbia University temporarily bans 70 students for traveling

Columbia University announced it has temporarily banned 70 students who traveled to Turks and Caicos — violating the school’s travel policy, according to a report.

“The Turks & Caicos trip was a group event that violated this policy and thus was met with disciplinary action,” Columbia University spokesman Christopher Cashman told CNN.

Cashman didn’t say when the trip took place.

The New York City school’s COVID-19 travel policy said on its site that “all academic- or work-related travel, domestic or international, is suspended” for the fall semester.

Cashman said the MBA students aren’t allowed on campus until Dec. 1, and that they must attend classes remotely.

“All of this is being done to protect the broader health of our community,” he told CNN. “Thankfully, to date, our positive case rate remains low.”

The U.S. has seen more than 12,000,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 255,000 deaths as of Saturday, according to John Hopkins University.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Americans should not travel during the holiday season. But those who choose to do so should continue to follow safety protocols such as wearing masks, hand washing and meeting in small gatherings, the CDC says.