From: President <President@manchester.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 2:02 PM
To: FWStudents <FWStudents@manchester.edu>; NMStudents <NMStudents@manchester.edu>; All Colleagues <AllColleagues@manchester.edu>
Subject: COVID-19 and spring break

Dear MU community,

As you know, coronavirus – specifically COVID-19 – is spreading in the United States and worldwide. As many of us prepare to leave our respective campuses for spring break, I want to share some information about how this virus might affect our health and travels.

Because of our commitment to the needs of students and colleagues, Manchester University will continue normal operations. We are taking proactive precautions, communicating with government and health officials, and continually monitoring the situation.

We ask all colleagues and students to register your travel to keep the university abreast of your spring break travel plans. This will help in our preparedness to keep the community safe and healthy.

If we need to send further information about Manchester specifically, we will use the regular channels, such as our website, email and social media. For additional information about coronavirus, the CDC website has a wealth of good information and is being updated regularly.

We have added a Frequently Asked Questions feature to the Medical Alerts page on the website of our Center for Health and Sports Medicine. You may email your questions to health@manchester.edu, and we will answer them as promptly and clearly as possible.

Be assured that Manchester has protocols that we follow in such situations and that we are prepared to handle illnesses, should they arise. We are closely monitoring updates and recommendations from local, state, and national government as well as the Centers for Disease Control and the American College Health Association.

The following are some considerations and recommendations for spring break travel: 

• Students should take their laptops and/or course materials with them in the event they are unable to return to campus.
• If you are planning to travel internationally over spring break, we strongly encourage you to monitor emerging travel advisories before you depart. In many countries, there may be new restrictions on entering and leaving, and even quarantines implemented with very little notice. These actions could make it difficult to return home and back to campus. The U.S. Department of State website has information regarding individual countries.
• Along with the CDC, the university discourages travel to any country listed with a level 2 or level 3 alert.
• Note that the CDC is currently recommending travelers to defer all cruise ship travel at this time.
• If you are traveling within the United States, you should also be mindful of conditions at your destination(s) and the possibility that those conditions could change with little notice.
• If you travel, you might first want to consult the Centers for Disease Control web page, which lists confirmed case of coronavirus. For a link to U.S. locations only, scroll down to the bottom of that page. 
• If you believe you might have been exposed to COVID-19 while on spring break, please contact health@manchester.edu before returning to campus. After hours call University Safety at 260-982-5999. 

It has felt like a long winter and, whether you travel for spring break or stay put, I hope it is a good, safe and healthy week for everyone.  

Dave

Dave McFadden
President
Manchester University
260-982-5050
www.manchester.edu