Coronavirus information and recommendations

Members of the Mitchell Hamline community are all concerned by the rapidly developing news and uncertainty surrounding the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

President and Dean Knapp convened representatives from his office, Student Services, Facilities, Communications, Human Resources, Blended Learning, Finance, and Information Technology to track developments and make appropriate plans for response. Any action would be based on recommendations from public health experts.

For the moment, those recommendations consist of everyday actions that help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• To help reduce the spread of germs, consider an alternative way to greet someone other than a handshake
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Stay home when you are sick
  • Call your health care provider if you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe
  • The school is in the process of ordering hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes for departments, classrooms, public areas, and meeting rooms. These will be deployed as soon as they are available. We are working with the facilities team to perform routine cleaning of all frequently touched surfaces.

Following the guidelines of the CDC, we are asking faculty, staff, and students who are returning to school from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread (Level 3 Travel Health Notice) including China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea, to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you left the area and monitor your health. Since we are not aware of all personal travel by our faculty, staff, and students, we encourage you to visit the CDC for further recommendations.

Be assured we are closely monitoring developments and will share any further information and recommendations. It is important to reinforce that there is no immediate threat to our community. We recognize that situations like this may involve a sense of fear and uncertainty, which makes it important that we, as a school community, do not turn this toward individuals or groups based on race, country of origin or other factors. We have a particular accountability to those who are far from home, may be concerned about a loved one in an affected community, or who may not have a network of support in Minnesota. It is critical at times such as this that we as a community create a culture that supports and welcomes all members who choose our school to work or learn.

In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Minnesota Department of Health websites for more information.

Image by iXimus from Pixabay