CORRECTS - Coronavirus: US pauses international exchange programs

CORRECTS THE LAST PARAGRAPH - PLEASE READ ''SUMMER WORK TRAVEL PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES FOREIGN STUDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE AND WORK IN THE U.S. IN THE SUMMER, WILL NOT BE AFFECTED''

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S. State Department announced Thursday that all international exchange programs will be paused for 60 days to help combat the coronavirus outbreak.

"The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will temporarily pause all ECA-funded programs that involve travel to and from countries with heightened U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Alert Level 2 and Warning Level 3 or heightened State Department COVID-19 related Travel Advisory Levels 3 and 4," it said in a statement.

"ECA-funded programs will be paused for CDC Alert Level 2 and Warning Level 3 countries due to COVID-19," it said and "ECA will pause ECA-funded programs in countries with COVID-19 related State Department Travel Advisory Levels 3 (Reconsider Travel) and 4 (Do Not Travel).”

Additional postponements or cancellations are possible, it added.

The decision will be reviewed in 60 days and if the pandemic risk continues, another review will take place every 30 days thereafter.

The Summer Work Travel program, which provides foreign students with an opportunity to live and work in the U.S. in the summer, will not be affected.