CONWAY, Ark. (March 2, 2020) — The following message was sent to the Hendrix College community this morning:
Dear Hendrix community,
While there are no suspected cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Arkansas, the College is monitoring the situation.
Members of the College’s Emergency Response Team are working to plan for housing and dining services considerations, should an individual case or outbreak occur. The Director of Athletics is working with conference officials and the NCAA to follow precautions for student-athletes.
Academic
Affairs and Technology Services are working together to plan how
courses will continue in the event of a campus outbreak. Appropriate faculty committees will be consulted as part of the planning process, and the faculty will be updated as needed.
As we receive additional information, we will share updates with the Hendrix community.
Here are some considerations the College is keeping in mind:
Health and Safety Issues
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has only recommended screening for individuals returning from China and South Korea, but the College may need to screen individuals returning from other countries in accordance with updated CDC Travel Guidelines as the situation evolves.
Please remember the following CDC recommendations to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
Avoid contact with sick people.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Clean
your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20
seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95%
alcohol. (Additional hand sanitizer is being placed in buildings across campus.) Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
Clean your hands after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Get a flu vaccine.
If you have any health-related questions, please contact Necie Reed, Director of Student Health Services, at reed@hendrix.edu.
Other resources:
Travel Study Issues
The
College is working with students who have had to adjust travel study
plans due to coronavirus precautions in other countries. The College is
in contact with those students to support their academic arrangements,
health, and safety.
Going forward, the College will rely on the U.S. State Department and CDC Travel Advisory Systems. College-related travel to any country with a Level 3 warning—due to the coronavirus COVID-19—will not be allowed. We recommend you postpone making any summer travel plans at this time. If you need to make arrangements
as the coronavirus situation continues to develop, we recommend you
purchase trip cancellation insurance for any international travel. Be
sure such insurance covers circumstances related to epidemic and
pandemic diseases; many standard plans do not.
The
Office of International Programs will continue to monitor the situation
and will advise students and faculty on programs that are affected or
potentially impacted. Please contact Dr. Peter Gess in the Office of
International Programs at gess@hendrix.edu if you have any specific questions related to travel programs affected by coronavirus.