Alcorn State University News March 6, 2020 Alcorn issues guidance and information related to Spring Break and student, faculty, and staff travel Alcorn State University continues to closely monitor the global health emergency and outbreak of the virus which causes the novel Coronavirus, known as COVID-19. As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise and spread in the United States, the safety of the Alcorn community is of primary concern. To date, we have not identified any cases on our campuses. However, as COVID-19 spreads, it is important that we all remain aware and vigilant of the growing threat it poses. Due to the uncertainty this public health issue is creating, the University is banning all university-related travel to the countries for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Warning related to COVID-19. Currently, these include China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. We strongly encourage the campus community to continually review the latest warnings and advisories on the CDC Travel Warnings<https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices> website and the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories<https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/> page. Additionally, the university is guided by the Centers for Disease Control's<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/student-foreign-travel.html> (CDC) recommendation that Universities reconsider study abroad travel. Alcorn is canceling all outbound study abroad programs scheduled over spring break and the next six months. It is in everyone's best interest that students, faculty, and staff avoid unnecessary travel through high-traffic transportation hubs and affected areas before they return to campus. Faculty, staff, and students are strongly advised to reconsider their personal or professional spring break travel plans, both nationally and internationally, if it is to any of the affected areas. Those traveling to affected areas are also cautioned to consider the possibility of travel delays, future quarantines, or prolonged self-isolation when returning to campus. We also encourage campus members to share travel plans with your department chair, dean, supervisor, or the Office of Student Affairs in order to facilitate assistance if the need arises. Alcorn is committed to keeping the campus informed and up to date as this situation evolves and is relying heavily on the guidance received from federal, state, and local entities to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our campus community. To help you stay safe, below are some basic good hygiene and protective measures we recommend everyone practice. *Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. *Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. *Make sure to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid personal contact with sick people. *Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. *Recognize the symptoms of this illness which may include a high fever, cough, difficulty breathing, similar to what you may feel with the flu or a bad cold. *Seek care and immediately notify the Office of Health and Disability Services at the Campus Health Center or your health care provider if you are experiencing these symptoms. *Stay home when you are sick. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/