Coronavirus Update | March 3, 2020

On Monday, March 2, we learned that an undergraduate student attending classes on the Forest Grove Campus has been advised by medical professionals to self-quarantine due to direct exposure to a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 through a medical job. The student has no symptoms and is highly unlikely to have transmitted the virus to anyone at Pacific.

This does not pose increased risk to the Pacific University community.

This is a natural part of containment and should be expected as every agency and institution works to stop the spread of COVID-19. If you know or have had contact with someone in self-quarantine without symptoms, please know that the risk remains low for you. If circumstances change, a health agency will be in contact with you to discuss the best protocol.

Preventive Measures

Pacific continues to take proactive measures to prepare for possible impact of the outbreak of coronavirus. The preventive advice from the CDC has not changed:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick. (See more details below.)
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. (You will see Facilities staff wiping down and cleaning surfaces more frequently throughout the day.)
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (try singing “Happy Birthday” twice to measure the time).
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. (Additional sanitizer stations are being filled around Pacific’s campuses.)

Stay Home If You’re Sick

If you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, stay home and contact your primary healthcare provider by phone or email. Please do not walk into clinics, including the Student Health Center, without an appointment. Your doctor will be able to advise you if it is necessary to seek medication or in-person treatment. 

Employees: Non-exempt staff members accrue leave at the rate of one regular scheduled working day per month from date of hire. Exempt staff members start the fiscal year with 30 days of sick leave. Faculty members follow normal sick-leave practices. Longer-term sick leave is possible for full-time faculty members under disability insurance. 

Students: If you are ill, follow your normal process for notifying faculty members in your classes. 

If you are placed on self-quarantine by an official medical or government agency, contact your dean or director.

Facemasks Are Not Necessary for the General Public

The CDC does not recommend facemasks for healthy members of the general public or for travelers. There is little evidence that they help healthy people prevent disease. Facemasks may help people who are ill with respiratory symptoms to prevent the spread of germs to others. Facemasks also are important for healthcare workers in patient-contact settings. Please do not use facemasks unnecessarily, as you may decrease the supply available for those who need them.

Travel Advisories

Pacific monitors travel recommendations from the CDC and the State Department and will review options for any locations that reaches a CDC Level 2 or State Department Level 3 Alert. There are currently no domestic travel restrictions.

Non-Discrimination

Unfortunately, there have been reports of discriminatory rhetoric and violent attacks nationally against Asian-Americans across the country. Race, ethnicity and nationality have no role in a person’s likelihood to contract or transmit the coronavirus. Discriminatory and hateful language and behavior is not tolerated at Pacific. This is a time for us to come together as a community.

More Information & Resources

A planning team is meeting daily and a larger implementation team will begin meeting this week to continue considering any necessary contingencies and questions related to Pacific operations in light of the outbreak.

Find the latest news and information at pacificu.edu/coronavirus. Here you also will find print-friendly resources, such as signage for Pacific clinics and common spaces, in relation to prevention measures.