Coronavirus Campus Communication 7/1/2020

To: Students, Faculty and Staff
Date: July 1, 2020
Re: Campus Communication on Coronavirus

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:

As a reminder, the State of New Jersey has issued an incoming travel advisory that all individuals entering New Jersey (both travelers and NJ residents) from states with a significant spread of COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

Travel Registry
Yesterday, the State announced that an additional 8 states were added to the previously announced  travel advisory. The 16 states included in the travel advisory are (as of June 30):

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California (new), Florida, Georgia (new), Iowa (new), Idaho (new), Louisiana (new), Mississippi (new), North Carolina, Nevada (new), South Carolina, Tennessee (new), Texas, and Utah

If you must engage in personal, international travel (to any country) or domestic travel to any of the 16 states, we ask that you please complete the College’s travel registry questionnaire for any travel between now and August 31, 2020.

By completing the questionnaire, you will enable the College to support you with the most current resources and College-specific directions concerning your travel and COVID-19. If you are traveling internationally or from the 16 above listed states with high rates of infection, students and employees will be directed to self-quarantine, off campus, for 14 days after returning from travel, monitor their health, and practice social distancing.

Students will be guided and cleared for return to campus by the Associate Director of Health Services. Employees will be guided and cleared for return to campus by the Associate Director of Human Resources.

The global situation is continuously evolving. Please factor in current guidance from the below mentioned resources as you consider your travel plans. While we encourage you to stay informed about your international travel plans, we also want you to remain current on any domestic travel plans – especially travel to areas of the United States.

• CDC, COVID-19 International Travel Recommendations by Country
• CDC, Travelers prohibited from Entering the United States
• CDC, Travel FAQs
• CDC, Coronavirus in the United States and Considerations for Travelers
• NJ COVID-19 Information HUB
• Roukema Center for International Education (General Travel Related Health and Safety Information)
• Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

Mental Health Resources
We acknowledge that your experience during this pandemic can be a source of stress, anxiety, worry and fear.  While the stay at home order has been lifted, many have been at home for a number of months or might be in a vulnerable population who continue to be at home.  We want you to have resources where you can work through concerns you may have about being isolated and lonely.
There are a number of personal scenarios that affect you and we want you to have the resources to take care of yourself.   The CDC has issued a helpful document related to coping with the stress of this pandemic which we encourage you to review.  Students may call Counseling Services at 201-684-7522 for support.  For employees, the Human Resources Department has a number of resources available to you that can be found on their website and on their wellness website.

Additional resources:
Crisis Text Line:  Text “NJ” to 741741
Family Helpline (for stressed parents): 1-800-843-5437
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-572-7233
Suicide Prevention Hopeline: 1-855-654-6735
NJ Mental Health Cares Helpline: 1-866-202-4357
The helpline, made available through the NJ Department of Human Services (DHS), is available 7 days per week from 8am to 8pm. DHS also offers emotional help and support to deaf and hard of hearing individuals during COVID-19.  Sign language users can communicate with ACCESS of St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson through video phone at 973-870-0677 (Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Please be aware of the symptoms of coronavirus. The CDC issues important guidance, so that you can be aware of symptoms, which may range from mild to severe and may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.  The symptoms are fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or small, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea (this list does not include all possible symptoms).

The CDC has also listed emergency warning signs that should always result in getting emergency medical attention immediately such as: trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, and bluish lips or face. Please consult with the above referenced CDC website, which also includes a symptom “self checker.”

People Who Need to Take Extra Precautions
The CDC has issued guidance related to populations of people who must take extra precautions to prevent being infected with COVID-19. We recommend that you assess this information to determine if you are at a higher risk for this severe illness and consider ways to keep yourself safe. Please book mark this link and make it a habit to keep yourself informed of the high risk groups, as the guidance continues to evolve.

Reporting
As a reminder, if you are a student and have tested positive for COVID-19, told you most likely have COVID-19 by a medical provider, or have a COVID-19 sick individual in your home, please contact Debra Lukacsko, Associate Director of Health Services, dlukacsk@ramapo.edu or 201-684-7536.  If you are an employee and have tested positive for COVID-19, told you most likely have COVID-19 by a medical provider, or have a COVID-19 sick individual in your home, please contact Jill Brown, Associate Director of Human Resources, jcbrown@ramapo.edu, HR2020@ramapo.edu or 201-684-7507.  We ask that you come forward and talk with us, so that we can provide you with Ramapo-specific resources and guidance.  If any member of the community becomes aware of a student or employee with COVID-19 or under investigation for COVID-19, you may share this information with the above named resources.

Prevention Information
Make it a point to review prevention information from the CDC on a daily basis.  The guidance may change, so we encourage you to take responsibility for your health and stay informed.

Below is a summary of prevention steps, but please access the CDC site for the comprehensive information about protection.

• Clean your hands often.  Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.  If soap and water is not available, you can use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
• Practice social distancing and stay home as much as possible.  Remember that some people, without symptoms, may be able to spread the virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.  Always put distance between yourself and other people.  Social distancing (at least 6 feet of distance between others) is a mechanism to slow the spread of COVID-19;
• For students who are currently living on campus, as a reminder, the guest and visitation policy is suspended and there are to be no gatherings;
• Stay home if you are sick (except to get medical care). Do not, under any circumstances, come to the campus if you are sick;
• Always cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue (and throw it away) or sneeze into the inside of your elbow.  Immediately wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water (or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol);
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others in public settings, (such as a grocery store, pharmacy and gas station), where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. The cloth face covering is meant to protect others, in the event that you are infected.  A face covering with a valve should not be used, as an exhalation valve allows unfiltered, exhaled air to be released and putting others nearby at risk. Always keep 6 feet of distance from others, as the cloth face covering is not meant to be a substitute for social distancing.  On campus students are reminded that you are required to wear a cloth face covering when picking up meals from Dining Services or visiting the Food Pantry;
• The CDC offers guidance on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Slow the Spread. Please review this advice as it describes how to properly wear (covering both your nose and mouth) and wash a face covering;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

State of New Jersey General Resources
If you have questions about COVID-19, you may wish to call the hotlines set up by the NJ Department of Public Health. For Medical COVID-19 Questions call 1-800-962-1253 (24/7). For General COVID-19 Questions call 2-1-1 (24/7).  Or you can text NJCOVID to 898-211 to receive alerts.

The State of NJ COVID-19 Information Hub

State of NJ Department of Health

Ramapo Specific Resources
Health Services: 201-684-7536
General Questions: 201-684-7265 or communications@ramapo.edu
Roukema Center for International Education: 201-684-7533
Counseling Services (24/7, including emergencies): 201-684-7522
Human Resources: 201-684-7506

We will continue to provide resource information on the Health Services website.  The situation is constantly changing, so please bookmark this website and continue to keep yourself informed of the COVID-19 positive cases we learn of impacting Ramapo College.

Sincerely,

Melissa Van Der Wall
Dean of Students
Pandemic Assessment Team, chair

Debra Lukacsko, MSN, BA, RN, APN, C
Associate Director of Health Services
Pandemic Assessment Team, member