March 6, 2020 | College Communications

Dear Campus Community,

We hope you are enjoying spring break and look forward to welcoming students and faculty back to campus next week. As you prepare to return to campus, we want to remind anyone who has recently traveled internationally—or who has been in close contact with someone who has recently traveled internationally—to complete the College’s Travel Reporting Form. This is a precautionary measure due to the global outbreak of COVID-19.

In addition, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, anyone who has traveled to a Level 3-designated country—China, South Korea, Italy or Iran—is expected to self-quarantine for 14 days due to an increased risk of exposure COVID-19 in those countries. This means that you should not return to campus until those 14 days have passed. More information about what it means to quarantine is available below.

In addition, travelers returning from a Level 3 country should:

• Inform the College by emailing dysonwellness@noctrl.edu
• If you develop symptoms, call your healthcare provider before going to a clinic or ER
• Tell your healthcare provider about your recent travel and symptoms

Faculty or staff with questions or in need of assistance related to the requirement to quarantine should contact Mary Spreitzer, assistant vice president for Human Resources, at 630-637-5754. Students with questions or in need of assistance related to the requirement to quarantine should contact Student Affairs at 630-637-5151. For more information and updates from the College regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, visit info.northcentralcollege.edu.

As a reminder, we all play a vital role in maintaining a healthy campus environment regarding COVID-19, the flu or other health concerns. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure. The CDC recommends the following simple, daily actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and the flu:

• Stay home when sick and avoid contact with others who are sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water
• Clean frequently touched surfaces

Thank you,
The Dyson Wellness Center

Note: The CDC defines quarantine as a means separating a person or group of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease but have not developed illness (symptoms) from others who have not been exposed, in order to prevent the possible spread of that disease. Quarantine is usually established for the incubation period of the communicable disease, which is the span of time during which people have developed illness after exposure. For COVID-19, the period of quarantine is 14 days from the last date of exposure, because 14 days is the longest incubation period seen for similar coronaviruses. Someone who has been released from COVID-19 quarantine is not considered a risk for spreading the virus to others because they have not developed illness during the incubation period.

More information is available at: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html