Columbia University bans 70 masters students from campus after they broke school Covid rules by traveling to Turks and Caicos

Columbia University has banned 70 masters students from campus after they broke school Covid-19 containment rules by traveling to the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

The students, who are studying for MBAs, have now been barred from campus until December 1 after their trip to the Atlantic islands. 

According to university spokesman Christopher Cashman, the holiday breached the the school's health compact - a protocol which prohibits officials or groups from traveling due to the coronavirus pandemic.   

A view of the campus at Columbia University on May 21, 2020 in New York City

'The Turks & Caicos trip was a group event that violated this policy and thus was met with disciplinary action,' Cashman said. 

Cashman added that the MBA students will have to attend classes virtually to complete their academic studies up until the first of next month. 

If the same students violate the school's policy again, they will leave themselves open to harsher measures, Cashman said.   

Aerial drone photograph  of the Turks and Caicos Islands 

'All of this is being done to protect the broader health of our community and, thankfully, to date our positive case rate remains low,' Cashman said.

Cases of coronavirus continue to surge in the US, with 2.7million new cases recorded since the start of this month. Over 250,000 Americans have already died from the respiratory illness.   

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 'strongly' advised US citizens not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household amid a nationwide surge of COVID-19.