MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami Dade College has ordered its medical campus to immediately close after a visitor tested positive for the coronavirus.
In a tweet, the college stated the visitor recently attended a non-MDC event, Monday night.
“We made the decision to issue our emergency alerts and evacuate this campus,” MDC spokesperson Juan Mendieta said. “That evacuation was very swift and orderly, and this building now has been evacuated for several hours.”
MDC has also canceled all events college-wide until further notice based on recommendations from the Florida Governor. Classes at other campuses continue as regularly scheduled. (2/2)
— Miami Dade College (@MDCollege) March 12, 2020
Mendieta also revealed the visitor to be Brazilian president Jair Bolsanaro and his delegation staff, who he said rented space in the Medical Campus building for a delegation meeting. One member of Bolsanaro’s staff had tested positive for the coronavirus.
“President Bolsanaro of Brazil and his delegation rented space here at the campus on Monday evening. It was a non-student, non-college event. We often rent out our space at all our college campuses, and that’s what happened,” Mendieta said. “We have not used that facility since. It’s not a facility that students use, but after learning that one member of that delegation was tested positive for coronavirus, in an abundance of caution we went ahead and evacuated the campus today, and the campus will remain evacuated until further notice. We’ve also been in contact with a biohazard company to come in and thoroughly clean this campus, especially this room.”
Mendieta said that the biohazard will come in between Thursday and Friday to sanitize the Medical Campus, as it is not a job that custodians can handle.
“Our message to anybody, any student or any member of the college community who isn’t feeling well that they go to their primary healthcare physician or emergency room and get tested immediately,” Mendieta said.
Officials said the upper floors towards the back of the building are used by students, and the building features a virtual hospital. However, officials said the Brazilian delegation did not go to that part of the building.
MDC also announced that all events college-wide will be cancelled until further notice.
7News cameras captured some gates that have been set up to prevent anyone from entering the now closed campus.
Classes on other campuses will continue as scheduled.
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