After the first COVID death occurred in Milan on the 22nd of February, the government mandated a quarantine for locations labeled as red zones that were most affected by the virus. Despite this, COVID continued to spread. In yellow and red zones, schools, as well as public events, and religious services were cancelled, and the rest of the country later followed suit. Many universities opted to provide instruction online, while a few others used thermal scanners so they could operate “normally.” However, the government shut down all levels of schooling on March 4th. Most universities began to deliver instruction virtually. Some public higher education institutions also postponed fee payments up until May.