Weekly COVID-19 Briefing 4/24/2020

City-wide Face Covering Ordinance

Earlier this week we notified the ENC community of a Quincy-wide face-covering requirement ordinance. A similar order is now in place for the City of Braintree. For employees, students, and residents on campus this means:

• Face coverings must be worn at all times while on campus property with limited exceptions.
• Residents and Students do not need to wear face covering when they are in their own home or apartment unit, though they do need to wear covering 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 covering when working with others or moving from space to space on campus.

Face Coverings FAQs

What kind of face masks are recommended?

• Any cloth covering like a bandana, scarf, buff or cut up pillow-case or flannel. It is not necessary to purchase or use any type of medical or disposable mask.
• Use several layers of tightly woven fabric – if you hold it up to the light, you should not be able to see much, if any, light shine through it.
• Be creative! See what you have on hand that you can use. There are many videos out there right now giving ideas and instructions.
• If you don’t think you have anything you can use or aren’t sure how to make one, please reach out to Res Life or Patsy Malas at 617-745-3893 or patsy.malas@enc.edu.

What safety guidelines should I be following when wearing masks?

• When making or trying out a mask, adjust to fit properly so that when you are wearing it you don’t need to continually touch your face to adjust it.
• It is very important that everyone continue to maintain social/physical distancing protocol while wearing mask.
• Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing face covering and wash your hands immediately after removing.
• Place used mask in a specified bin or bag until able to wash, preferably outside the door of your living area.

How often will they need to be washed?

• Ideally, wash after each use, or at least daily.
• If possible, try to have at least two face masks so that one can always be clean and ready for use.

What’s the best way to wash a face mask or covering?

• A washing machine should suffice in properly washing a face covering.
• An alternative is soaking the face covering in very hot, soapy water for 10 minutes. Boiling water in a microwave first would work great. Then rinse in hot water and hang to dry.

More Questions?

Check out the full CDC Face Mask Guidelines.

Employee and Student Health

If employees or students have any symptoms of illness, especially fever, cough, shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue or body aches, 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.

Other 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.
• The CDC website.

Before an employee returns to campus for work, all of the following should be true:

• 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 7 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared

Campus Status Report

We are now aware of four confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the ENC community. We are pleased to report that these individuals are 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.

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
enc.edu
617-745-3718