Subject: [Staff-l] COVID-19 Update: Information, Resources, and Planning
From: Presidents Office <[email-masked]>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2020 14:10:19 -0800
List-Id: All-Staff mailing list <staff-l.lists.cca.edu>

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As the COVID–19 outbreak continues to develop globally, I want to share
some information with you about CCA’s actions to prepare for and respond to
the evolving situation, as well as some resources you may find helpful. We
have created a resource page
<https://portal.cca.edu/thriving/health-wellness/novel-coronavirus-covid19/>
on Portal, which we will continue to update as new information becomes
available.

I also want to thank you for your help in ensuring that everyone in our
community is supported and treated with compassion and respect as this
uncertain situation unfolds. I recognize that the heightened concern
associated with the novel coronavirus has caused anxiety for many and may
be particularly difficult for students who are far from home and loved
ones. If you or someone you know in our community is finding worries about
this outbreak difficult to manage, please complete a CCA Care Form
<https://www.tfaforms.com/4690782> to be connected with helpful resources.

It’s important to remember that viruses don’t discriminate, and COVID–19 is
not associated with any nationality, culture, ethnicity, or racial group.
In line with our values as a community, we must categorically reject any
stigmatization or discrimination against groups or individuals due to such
biases or misperceptions, and we will not tolerate it at our school. Here
is some information
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/related-stigma.html> you
can use to help fight stigma associated with this outbreak.

As you have likely heard, the scope of the outbreak is no longer confined
to a few cities or countries. Health officials anticipate the number of
confirmed cases to increase significantly as accurate testing becomes more
widely available. While several cases have been reported in the Bay Area, there
are no confirmed cases of the virus at CCA.

We are in close contact with the San Francisco Department of Public Health
and our peers at other colleges, both in the Bay Area and nationally, and
are following guidelines for institutions of higher education provided by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We will continue to
work closely with and follow recommendations from public health officials
in all decisions we make and actions we take.

Planning and preparedness

I’ve convened a coronavirus preparedness and response team, which is
meeting regularly to coordinate the college’s efforts and share
information. This team is building our preparedness plan and anticipating
responses to a wide variety of possible effects of this outbreak. Some of
the areas we’re addressing include:

   -

   Plans for minimizing disruption to our students’ academic progress in
   the event we need to suspend classes, for either a short or longer period
   of time
   -

   Support for students who may experience delays with visas or other
   obstacles to continuing or starting classes
   -

   Various scenarios involving our residential student population,
   including action we will take if any students in our residence halls are
   exposed to or contract the virus, or if students unexpectedly need summer
   housing due to travel restrictions or other circumstances
   -

   Responding to students’ and parents’ questions and concerns, connecting
   them with resources, and providing ongoing communication as this situation
   unfolds
   -

   The well-being of our faculty and staff

Study abroad and international travel

As of now, we have not canceled Study Abroad trips planned for the coming
summer, with the exception of a China trip that was canceled prior to
registration. We are closely monitoring U.S. Department of State travel
advisories
<https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/>
and are prepared to cancel trips if necessary for the safety of our
students and faculty. The Office of Special Programs is in close contact
with all students registered for these trips and will communicate status
updates as the situation evolves. In the event a trip is canceled, students
will receive full refunds of program fees paid. Anyone planning
international travel in the coming weeks and months should be attentive to
travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State
<https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/>
and CDC <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html>
and regulations that may affect their plans. If you are planning any
travel, please follow the above agencies’ recommendations and plan
carefully, as the location and severity of outbreaks is unpredictable.

Resources and prevention

We’ve created a COVID–19 information page
<https://portal.cca.edu/thriving/health-wellness/novel-coronavirus-covid19/>
on Portal, where we’ve gathered a number of helpful resources. We’ll
continue to post updates on this page whenever we have anything new to
report, and I encourage you to share this resource widely.

For now, the health risk for us here in the Bay Area remains very low. The
most important things you can do to keep yourself and your community
healthy are:

   -

   Wash your hands often for 20 seconds with soap and warm water.
   -

   Cover your cough and sneeze, and toss your tissues afterward.
   -

   Stay home if you’re sick! Talk with your instructor or supervisor if
   you’re concerned about missing class or work.
   -

   Get a flu shot. While it won’t protect against novel coronavirus, the
   flu is exponentially more common. Protect yourself!

Many of you have families and loved ones who may have questions. I
encourage you to share this email with them. Finally, remember there are
people here at CCA to support you. Please reach out to the contacts below
if you have questions or concerns.

To be contacted by a member of the CCA Cares team, submit a CCA Care Form
<https://www.tfaforms.com/4690782>.

For assistance contacting your healthcare provider, email
[email-masked].

For additional information and resources, visit the COVID–19 Portal page
<https://portal.cca.edu/thriving/health-wellness/novel-coronavirus-covid19/>
.

Sincerely,

Stephen Beal, President--

Stephen Beal President

[email-masked] | o 510.594.3630
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