Good evening students, faculty, and staff.

This is an update on coronavirus preparations from the Saint Joseph’s Pandemic Virus Response Team. We use these communications to keep our community prepared to respond as events unfold, which will help us support each other with respect and integrity through this period. Keeping you safe and informed is our highest priority.

What you need to know today:

• At this time, there have been no cases of COVID-19 coronavirus identified in Maine or on the Saint Joseph’s College campus.

• The College continues to follow the latest recommendations from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC and World Health Organization: WHO on such incidents regarding college and university campuses.

• Students, faculty, and staff who have returned from Spring Break travel in areas known to have experienced outbreaks of coronavirus have informed the College. The Response Team is working closely with the Maine CDC to handle each case in a safe and responsible way, to keep our community safe. We are approaching these cases from a place of compassion, treating each person with the respect and personal attention they deserve.

Effective today, the Response Team, in coordination with the Leadership Team, is issuing the following guidelines for all faculty, staff, students, and community members:

• All College-related international travel is prohibited.

• All personal international travel is strongly discouraged.

• All College-related non-essential domestic air travel is prohibited.

• We strongly urge extreme caution and judgment for your personal domestic travel.

• We are prepared to move the campus community to online instruction if events necessitate it.

• We are actively monitoring the feasibility of holding larger on-campus gatherings, and will continue to make decisions about these events on a case-by-case basis until further notice.

• The Silver Sneakers program will be postponed for two weeks out of an abundance of caution for at-risk populations in our community

Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to our cleaning and food services staff members. They are going above and beyond to keep campus safe and healthy. You can join their efforts by doing your part to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes.

• Stay home if you are sick and off-campus.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, using your elbow if a tissue is unavailable.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. (The campus has initiated heightened cleaning protocols focused on frequently touched surfaces in public spaces; office staff may use their P Cards to purchase CDC-approved disinfectant wipes or alcohol-based hand-sanitizer).

• Social distancing (efforts to limit where and when people come together).

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

We will continue to provide regular updates as this situation develops. As President Dlugos mentioned in the last update, you will also find this information at our SJCME Alerts blog.

This is a fluid situation that continues to shift and change on an almost hourly basis. We will continue to do our best to get information out to students, faculty, and staff as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience, concern and good ideas.

The Saint Joseph’s Pandemic Virus Response Team