|
Dear colleagues:
In light of the rapidly developing news related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), I wanted to share that in coordination with CUNY Central, we have been actively monitoring COVID-19 developments in New York City. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in New York City and the risk to New Yorkers remains low. But transmission of the virus in other countries and warnings from city and public health leaders to prepare for the virus here has reminded us the importance of keeping lines of communication open as the situation continues to evolve.
In the meantime, we are also in the midst of cold and flu season. The CDC and the New York City Department of Health and Hygiene recommend that for us all to stay in the best possible health we observe the following practices:
- If you are sick, stay home. Anyone who is sick and experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness should stay home and definitely not come to campus until they are free of fever (body temperature consistently ≤100.4° F [37.8° C] using an oral thermometer, and while not having taken Tylenol or Aspirin which mask a fever).
- If you are sneezing and/or coughing, please do so into a tissue and discard the tissue. If lacking a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve.
- If you have international travel plans coming up, we advise you to check the CDC’s Traveler’s Health Notices for the latest guidance and recommendations for the country of travel. Specific information for travelers going to and returning from China can be found on the CDC website.
Please be assured that while there are currently no confirmed cases in New York, CUNY and Lehman College are taking this possible threat very seriously and we are actively making and updating plans to ensure employee and student safety, as well as continuity of our operations.
More guidance is available at the CDC website and up-to-date local data is available at the New York City Department of Health website dedicated to Coronavirus. I recommend checking both websites regularly for the most up to date developments with regard to the virus. The NYC Health Department is preparing for all possible scenarios, and we will continue to monitor and communicate with them about any potential impact to our campuses.
We will continue to communicate with you about our ongoing efforts regarding COVID-19.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.
We also understand that some employees may be experiencing heightened levels of anxiety during this time. We want to remind you that CUNY’s Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) is available to work with employees toward addressing this. CUNY’s EAP may be reached at 1-888-993-7650 or www.deeroaks.com.
Sincerely,
Daniel Lemons
@LehmanPresident
Previous messages from President Lemons can be found here. |
