Colgate University became the third university in Central New York to move to online classes because of the spread of the coronavirus, the university said Tuesday.

Classes will be moved online after students return from spring break, which lasts from March 14 through March 22. Online classes will last through April 19, the university said.

The university joins Cornell and Syracuse universities in moving classes online for portions of the rest of their academic years. Cornell is moving classes online for the rest of the semester, while SU has moved classes online through March 30.

Colgate is encouraging students to remain on campus for spring break, though it expects students who do leave campus to return by March 23. Students who stay on campus for spring break are expected to register online at the university’s housing portal.

The university has canceled all university-sponsored spring break trips and asked for faculty, staff and students to “carefully consider” travel plans, the university said.

The Colgate men’s basketball team is still set to play Boston University as scheduled at the Reid Athletic Center for the Patriot League Championship, the university said. However, after March 23, all campus-based and university-sponsored gatherings of 100 or more people have been canceled or postponed until after April 19.

If any students have COVID-19 symptoms or come in contact with someone who has COVID-19, they are asked to call Student Health Services at 315-228-7750.

Nationwide, more than half a million students had been affected by the cancellations by midday, according to NPR. Other schools that are closing include: Harvard University, Columbia, Princeton, Rice, Stanford University, Hofstra, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington, among others.

New York officials announced Monday the state has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country.

The numbers will change and will continue to rise, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other public officials say.

The overwhelming number of New York’s cases are in the New York City area and on Long Island. Two people have tested positive in Saratoga County. No deaths have been reported in New York in connection with COVID-19. As of 4 p.m. Monday, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 19 people had died nationwide.