Princeton University in the US has confirmed it is assessing five students for coronavirus after ordering 100 recent student visitors to China to quarantine themselves over the weekend.
University spokesman Michael Hotchkiss on Tuesday said that contrary to "confusing" reports in the media, there was no outbreak at Princeton, the Ivy League university in the north-eastern state of New Jersey.
“Based on guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health, we spent yesterday assessing the risk of about 100 students who had travelled from China," he said.
"Classes began here on Monday so students were travelling back to campus. Everyone we’ve assessed so far is low risk, meaning no need to quarantine.
"We’re in the process of assessing the final five students and expect to be able to clear more today."
The virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has infected more than 20,000 people worldwide and killed at least 425 people.
The US has at least 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus but no cases have been reported in New Jersey.
