Weekly COVID-19 Briefing 5/7/2020

Employee and Student Health and Return to Work

If employees or students have any symptoms of illness, especially fever, cough, shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue or body aches, chills, headaches, sore throat or new loss of taste or smell, they should stay at home or in their apartment, monitor themselves, and track the symptoms.

If the symptoms are significant, employees should call their personal doctor for advice.

If they have any symptoms at all, students should call Health Services at 617-745-3893.

If any employee or residential student tests positive for COVID-19 they should call Health Services at 617-745-3893 to discuss contact tracing.

Helpful resources include:

• An online health tool from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that can be used to assess symptoms and find the right care: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/check-your-symptoms-for-covid-19-online
• The CDC website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/

Unless an essential employee has a note from their doctor, all of the following should be true before an employee returns to campus for work:

• No fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days with no fever and without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, when cough or shortness of breath have improved)
• At least 10 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared

NOTE: If an employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19, then they must have a note from their doctor in order to return to work.

State-wide Face Covering Executive Order

It is imperative that all on-campus employees, graduate assistants, tenants, and students abide by this order.

A state-wide face covering order is currently in affect. Failure to comply with the executive order could result in a $300 fine. The order covers both indoor and outdoor requirements. To review the full order please visit: https://www.mass.gov/doc/may-1-2020-masks-and-face-coverings/download

For employees, students, and residents on campus this means:

• Face coverings must be worn at all times while on campus property with limited exceptions.
• Students, Graduate Assistants, and Tenants do not need to wear face covering when they are in their own home, room or apartment unit, though they do need to wear coverings in all shared spaces including hallways, stairwells, elevators, and laundry rooms, for example.
• Employees that are on campus do not need to wear face covering if they are alone in their office or workspace with the door closed, though they do need to wear coverings when working with others or moving from space to space on campus.

Campus Status Report

We are aware of six confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the ENC community (this is inclusive of employees and students on and off campus). We are pleased to report that all of these individuals are now home in self-isolation and recovering well. Any community member that may have been in contact with these individuals has been notified and will be in self-quarantine for the appropriate length of time.

We are grateful for how seriously our community has taken the guidance of the Emergency Response Team (ERT). Continued adherence to ERT, state, and federal guidance will help us reduce chances of infection and spreading the virus.

Online Resources

The College continues to maintain an active website with timely information related to COVID-19 and institutional response. This informative site can be found at: https://enc.edu/covid-19-information/

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire ENC family across the world as we navigate these trying times. Above all we are grateful for a God who is present in our daily lives and who demonstrates how to love and live.

Blessings to you on behalf of the Emergency Response Team,

Jeffrey Kirksey
Vice President for Student Life and Campus Services

23 East Elm Avenue
Quincy, MA 02170-2999
www.enc.edu
617-745-3718