Dear Colgate Community,
In an effort to keep the campus community up to date with developments related to the international spread of COVID-19, I would like to share new information since my communication last Friday.
In accordance with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Colgate is now restricting all University-sponsored travel to countries with a level 3 or 4 CDC travel advisory. Countries with level 3 or 4 advisories currently include China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy.
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed a single case of infection in New York City. As of today, there are no confirmed cases reported in Madison County.
Director of Student Health Services, Dr. Merrill Miller, participated in a conference call earlier today with the DOH for the latest information related to this illness, and this Wednesday will participate in another conference call with the leadership of the Madison County’s Department of Health. Colgate’s Student Health Services and Emergency Operations teams continue to monitor recommendations and updates shared by the CDC, and are working with colleagues at Community Memorial Hospital to ensure consistent communication and preparedness.
Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to continue good hygiene practices to remain healthy, and to visit the website set up by the CDC for the latest COVID-19 facts and advisories. We would also like to take this opportunity to remind the campus community that anyone experiencing symptoms of any illness are asked to refrain from attending class, meetings, athletic functions, and other events. Members of the faculty are asked to work with students who miss class due to illness and to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that students are able to make-up missed assignments.
Colgate has established a landing page where continued updates will be shared with the community. In addition, the staff of the Office of Off-Campus Study are continuing to share updates with students who are currently abroad, or who may be traveling in the future, if programs will be impacted.
We encourage this community to read the CDC anti-stigma guidelines and avoid inappropriate blame or hostility toward any specific nation or its people. Similarly, it is especially important in a moment like this to rely on credible sources of information, rather than rumor or heresay, to guide decisions and interactions with others.
If you have any questions or concerns that are not addressed in these above named resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to the staff at Student Health Services (studenthealth@colgate.edu) for assistance. The University will continue to share important updates with the community as needed.
Sincerely,
Paul J. McLoughlin II, Ph.D.
Vice President & Dean of the College