Governor Baker Issues Regulations on Social Distancing

Dear Campus Community,

Governor Baker issued statewide regulations related to social distancing. The College is committed to working diligently to heed these requirements and take proactive steps to reduce the spread of infection. Central to these steps are the protection of our most vulnerable community members.

Social distancing has now become a very important tool in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. As the Mayor of Boston has said, it is not only about you, but about protecting the community at large. It is imperative that these precautions be followed in our daily living both on and off campus. The small decisions and changes that we make in our daily activities and good health practices have a far greater impact than we may yet realize. If we all do our part now, we can help slow down the spread of COVID-19. In slowing how quickly it is spread, we can reduce the strain placed upon local hospitals, emergency rooms, and health care centers.

In addition to our previous social distancing strategies, reiterated below, we are taking the following steps:

• Please keep a distance of 3 to 6 feet between yourself and others as much as possible.
• Meals in the dining hall will soon be transitioning to take-out only to comply with the new restaurant restrictions.
• Residential students remaining on campus will have strict guidelines particular to their living arrangement that will be updated as necessary.
• Meetings will be conducted via Zoom whenever possible. A forth-coming message from HR will highlight this technology and other college work related topics.
• All group gatherings will be limited to 25 people as mandated by the Governor. As such, the Quincy YMCA will suspend operations until at least April 7, 2020.

3-11-2020 Social Distancing Information:

What is Social Distancing?

Social distancing is a public health safety intervention used to reduce the likelihood of transmitting communicable disease. Social distancing involves minimizing exposure to infected individuals by avoiding large public gathering venues, adhering to spacing requirements in the workplace, and following proper personal hygiene practices.

What strategies are recommended?

The goal of social distancing is to limit exposure to infectious bacteria and viruses during a communicable disease outbreak such as COVID-19. The following Social Distancing strategies recommended:

• Adhere to public health hygienic recommendations by washing your hands after touching commonly used items or encountering someone who is sick. Proper hand washing involves scrubbing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
• Avoid touching your face, nose, and mouth and avoid rubbing your eyes.
• Practice proper coughing or sneezing etiquette. Sneeze or cough into your elbow, rather than you hand.
• Properly dispose of anything that touches your mouth such as tissues or plastic eating utensils.
• Avoid contact with individuals displaying symptoms of illness.
• Avoid all unnecessary person-to-person contact.
• When working near other individuals, keep a distance of approximately three to six feet from the nearest person.