Incoming students at Harvard Medical School will start fall semester online

Incoming students at Harvard Medical School will begin classes online in the fall, the school announced Wednesday.

The medical school said it plans to offer in-person research and clinical training for returning medical and graduate students, and hopes to have all students back on campus by January.

“Given the uniqueness of our education programs, which run for 12 months and emphasize hands-on learning, we hope to be able to hold in-person research and clinical experiences for our returning medical and graduate students and will continue to closely follow institutional guidelines and public health developments,” the school announced. “We will work with our affiliated hospitals to employ heightened protocols aimed at ensuring the safety of students, patients, staff and faculty.”

Schools across the country have shut down, switching to remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The virus has infected more than 1.3 million people and killed 83,356 people in the U.S., based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

In Massachusetts, where Harvard is located, the state has confirmed 80,497 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday.