March 16, 2020 Update

COVID-19: Campus Update

Dear Undergraduate Students,

The message from the Task Force just now shares that three students living off-campus in the Upper Valley have been tested, with results pending. These students are comfortable and self-isolating in consultation with the state. Close contacts have been notified by the state and are self-quarantining. You should know that generally "contact" for this purpose means six feet or less for a prolonged period of time.

The Task Force has also shared that given new CDC guidelines, the College is cancelling or postponing in-person events consisting of more than 50 people through May 9.

We know this is unsettling. We will continue to do all we can to support you through this. Communities all over the country are facing the same challenges. We can pull together and work this through.

No matter where you are, there are two key things you can do from a public health perspective to protect yourself and protect others.

Practice good hygiene:

The CDC recommends everyday actions to help prevent the spread of any type of respiratory virus, including washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; and staying 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. https://news.dartmouth.edu/covid-19/key-facts

Practice social distancing:

Where possible, stay more than six feet apart. Today's core message is "practice good hygiene and avoid groups of people." While that is difficult for all of us in practice, making these adjustments to our daily interactions with those around us can make a big difference.

OTHER QUESTIONS:

We will continue to provide updates on all the questions we've been getting about spring term remote offerings, registrarial issues, concerns of graduating seniors, how we're handling storage and your belongings, and related topics as soon as we have more details for you. We know you are anxious for more information. Again, please understand that we are all working as quickly as we can to give you information that you can rely on for your own planning purposes. That's a challenge in this rapidly developing public health context. We will get you more information as quickly as we can.

I'll be in touch again soon.

Best,

Dean Lively