Coronavirus (COVID–19) information for Central Penn College Faculty and Staff

Dear Central Penn College Faculty and Staff,

Your health and safety are our top priority. Like all of you, I am concerned about COVID–19 (novel coronavirus), its spread and its impact on the health of the greater campus community, including our family and friends.

Central Penn College has no confirmed cases of COVID–19 as of this writing. The college will continue to take every precaution to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors.

During the upcoming break between winter and spring terms, our residential housing units will undergo a disinfecting process of surface areas and bathrooms. To ensure that common areas in every unit are thoroughly disinfected, we will be closing all residential housing from Friday, March 20, 6 p.m., to Sunday, April 5, noon.

In addition, all Conference Center events scheduled over term break have been cancelled or postponed to a later date.

The situation regarding the coronavirus continues to evolve. With that in mind, we are asking all faculty members––who are teaching during the spring term––to be prepared to offer their classes remotely. The Emergency Response Committee, which is a subcommittee of Campus Continuity Response Team, has been meeting regularly to determine what is best for our students, faculty and staff, as we navigate this new challenge. The subcommittee includes myself and other key faculty and staff members.

Spring is a time when many of us travel. I ask that you follow the CDC’s guidelines regarding international and domestic travel. I’m also requesting that all faculty and staff members complete the online Screening form by Thursday, April 2.

If you travel to the following areas over the break, please self-quarantine for 14 days:

• Europe and Asia
• Cruise ships
• New York City, Seattle and San Francisco metro areas
• Areas with high exposure, such as New Rochelle, New York
• Any other location that is added during break by federal and state health officials

Good personal hygiene is critical to preventing the spread of coronavirus. As a reminder, there are 12 hand-sanitizer stations throughout campus and foaming hand soap dispensers in all restrooms. Our cleaning vendor also has been providing more frequent and enhanced cleanings of bathrooms, railings, doorknobs and other high-touch areas.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends:

• Frequent handwashing.
• Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
• If you’re sick, stay home.
• Avoid large gatherings (25 people or more).
• Clean and disinfect high-touch areas daily.
• For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

All updates on the college’s response to COVID-19 will continue to be posted on our website, www.centralpenn.edu/covid, including our Response Plan.  I encourage you to check the website frequently.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams