To: The Wellesley Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson and Dr. Jennifer Schwartz
Re: Coronavirus Update
Date: February 12, 2020
As we all follow the news regarding the new coronavirus outbreak, we want to make sure our community is up to date on what is happening here on campus.
The most important thing to know is that there are no cases of coronavirus at Wellesley. Based on CDC guidance and an abundance of caution, several members of our community who recently returned from China, including faculty, staff, and students, are now self-isolating. All of them are healthy, with no symptoms. By the end of the week, they will have completed the 14-day incubation period. This has been a challenging time, and we appreciate the steps they are taking to keep themselves and others healthy. We look forward to having them back as active members of our community soon.
The College is taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of coronavirus as well as the flu, which poses a much greater threat to our community. We have increased the frequency with which we clean all our facilities, and we have made face masks and hand sanitizer broadly available. Please remember that frequent handwashing, getting enough sleep, and coughing into your elbow are all extremely important practices to maintain at this time of year. We invite students to visit Health Services if you have not yet received your flu vaccine.
Finally, we ask you to show your support for members of Wellesley’s Asian and Asian-American community whose families, friends, and colleagues may have been affected by the coronavirus. Also, please keep the people of China and elsewhere around the world who are suffering from and fighting this pandemic in your thoughts during this difficult time. Showing care, concern and respect for each other is an important way to improve the collective health of our community here at Wellesley and globally.
