While we have no reason to believe that any member of the Webber International Community is currently sick or has been exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) we have been carefully monitoring and will continue to monitor this rapidly evolving and quickly changing worldwide situation.
With spring break approaching we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that employees and students not travel abroad. As the virus continues to spread, the risk that you will not be able to get back into the country – even if you are well – is becoming more and more real. If you insist on traveling abroad, we STRONGLY ENCOURAGE US citizens to register their trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (many other countries have similar programs; we encourage non-citizens to check your embassy’s website). Employees traveling abroad are REQUIRED to register their trip with WorldAware and STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to download the Worldcue Mobile app (I have never used it, but that big red SOS button is very comforting to have!)
Effective immediately, Webber International University is implementing the policy implemented by every Florida community college, state university, and state licensed college and university: as a condition of continued employment or enrollment, employees and students who return from travel to China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea are to self-quarantine and not return to campus for fourteen days after their return.
Webber International University does not currently have any University sponsored or supported international travel planned. Until further notice, no international travel to or through any country for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have assigned a Level 3 Travel Health Notice will be approved by the University. We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE deferral of professional development activities and ANY professional development activity requiring air travel (domestic or international) must be approved in advance.
Students and employees are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to submit basic information about their travel plans, both international and domestic. This allows us to gather information so we can be as responsive as possible to anyone who might need assistance as the situation evolves, or in the event we or health officials need to investigate a local outbreak. Please register any travel plans, international or domestic, (name, phone number, email, date of departure, date of return, cities/countries visited) with dancygl@webber.edu.
We are adopting immediately, as standard operating procedures, the following CDC guidance for infection control:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- 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 using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
- CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
- Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
- 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 hands are visibly dirty.
(Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html)
We recommend the following websites:
CDC Official COVID-19 website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
US Department of State Coronavirus website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province–china.html
We have suspended our normal per-day housing fee charged during breaks and residential students may stay with us over the spring break at no additional charge but MUST register their stay with the Student Life office.
Students needing assistance should contact the Vice President of Student Life and employees needing assistance should contact their immediate supervisor.
Finally we ask that you remember that there are those amongst us who cannot go home for spring break and are worried about friends or family in affected areas. They need our collective support, understanding, and empathy. Let’s do all we can to keep our community safe and well.
Thank you for visiting http://www.WebberEmergency.com, the official notification site of Webber International University.
Posted date, time, by, and authority of: March 3rd, 2020 3:30pm EST by the President of the University of his own authority.
Message ID: 2020-1
www.WebberEmergency.com 