To: The Wellesley Community
From: Andy Shennan, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College; Carolyn Slaboden, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources; and Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Date: March 6, 2020
Earlier today, we learned that a Wellesley resident and parent of children who attend Wellesley Public Schools tested presumptively positive for COVID-19. While this most recent news about the outbreak certainly hits close to home, we also want to assure the community that there have been no confirmed cases among Wellesley College students, faculty, and staff on campus or among those studying or working abroad.
At this time, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Mass. DPH) evaluates the current risk to Massachusetts residents as low, and there are now seven presumptive cases of coronavirus in the state and just one confirmed case.
The College is continuing to monitor developments and updates on restrictions and recommendations from Mass. DPH, the infectious disease department at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, the local Board of Health, and the CDC. We have been in communication with faculty and administrative and union managers about steps they might take to be prepared should we need to make any changes to our operations on campus. Right now, we are not anticipating any immediate changes to the College’s operations. We will monitor over the weekend and plan to update the community on any modifications to policies or additional restrictions on travel by 8 p.m. Sunday.
The College has set up a COVID-19 website with the latest information, policies, and restrictions, and the community should refer to that site for the most up-to-date information. We also encourage community members to continue to practice general health practices such as handwashing, coughing/sneezing into tissues or your elbow, and avoiding high-traffic areas and staying home if you are not feeling well.
If you have any questions or concerns, please complete this Google form.
