Healthy Habits

*Published on March 13, 2020*

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:

As you are aware, following the guidance of public health authorities, we have taken a series of proactive steps in recent days to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to members of the Northeastern community.

In addition to moving all classes online, we have reduced density on the Boston campus by facilitating remote work for faculty and staff, eliminating large convenings, and transitioning most other in-person meetings to virtual format. 

To further assist this effort, we are asking students to refrain from gathering together in groups to access online course delivery, especially in common areas of university research centers and classroom buildings. Classrooms remain available for study by students and faculty individually, or in small groups observing appropriate density and spacing recommendations.

As Northeastern campuses remain open and operational—and essential laboratory and project-level research continues—we urge all members of the campus community to continue to closely follow the recommendations of public health experts about how to limit COVID-19 transmission. This includes: 

• Washing your hands frequently for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and warm water;
• Using alcohol-based hand sanitizers frequently;
• Avoiding people who are sick, limiting personal contact, and covering your cough;
• Disinfecting commonly used surfaces frequently;
• Refraining from sharing drinking glasses, bottles, utensils, makeup, toothbrushes, vaping or other smoking devices, boxes of food, finger-foods, or anything else that could carry the virus from one person to another; and
• Contacting your primary care provider and self-quarantining should you feel sick.

In that same vein, the university is sanitizing all of its facilities—including dining halls, Curry Student Center, Snell Library, Marino and Squashbusters—on an ongoing and continuous basis.

If you experience symptoms of respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath) and/or fever—or if you come into contact with someone who meets this criteria—you should seek medical care immediately by contacting your primary health care provider, if you have one, before going to the emergency room. If you decide to go to the emergency room, call ahead and follow their instructions, which may include wearing a mask and not waiting in the waiting room. Emergency contact information may be found on the university’s COVID-19 website. 

Thank you for all you are doing to keep yourself—and your university community—safe and healthy during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

 

Michael Armini

Senior Vice President for External Affairs

Kenneth W. Henderson

Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning