The university said this is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on one of its campuses.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Kent County resident who recently tested positive for COVID-19 attended the Great Lakes Infectious Disease Conference at Ferris State University's Grand Rapids campus on March 7.

The conference took place at Ferris State's College of Pharmacy facility at 25 Michigan St. NE

The university said this is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on one of its campuses. The school is working alongside the Kent County Health Department to response to the situation.

As of Monday, March 16, there are five cases of COVID-19 in Kent County.

Ferris State sent letters to the conference attendees recommending they self-isolate of self-monitor through March 21. This included about 10 faculty and 30 students who attended the conference.

The university, like many in Michigan, has also suspended face-to-face classes and is opting for online classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ferris State President David Eisler also posted a message to the campus on Monday saying, "each of us needs to acknowledge that this is a serious, national public health emergency. Routine decisions we make today not only affect us, but the lives of those around us both at work and at home."

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