February 28, 2020
While there is growing concern about coronavirus COVID-19, please be assured that the Vermont Department of Health is closely monitoring the development of the virus. As of February 28, there were no cases of COVID-19 in Vermont.
To be best prepared, we are asking the following:
- If you (student, faculty, staff) traveled oversees during the last 30 days we are asking that you email our Coordinator of Health Services Bob Sivret with information on where you traveled to and when.
- If you are experiencing any Flu-like symptoms, we are asking that you email our Coordinator of Health Services Bob Sivret to track wellness in our community. If you live on campus, we will provide you with an alternative housing option.
- If you have a confirmed case of coronavirus COVID-19, please do not come to campus until your primary care physician clears you. We will work with you to make up work.
As a reminder about good hygiene practices, here are recommendations from the Center for Disease Control:
- People who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness should stay home and not come to work or school until they are free of fever (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines. Staff and faculty are asked to notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
- Practice cough and sneeze etiquette and good hand hygiene.
- Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces.
For your information, here is the guidance Vermont Department of Health has issued for colleges.
Please know that we are working now to make available hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes throughout our campuses. Sodexo will place hand sanitizer at the end of every line in the dining hall in Randolph Center. You are strongly encouraged to wash your hands before eating and using hand sanitizer after using utensils in the food lines. We will display the “COVID-19 Stop the Spread of Germs” posters around our campuses as reminders of best practices too.
Vermont Tech’s Incident Response Team, in collaboration with other VSC institutions, is working to develop plans so that we are prepared should coronavirus cases be confirmed in Vermont.
