Dear Students:

As many of you know from news coverage, public health agencies in the U.S. and around the globe are actively addressing an outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, a respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Individual cases of coronavirus have been reported in other countries, including the United States, but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, no cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the State of Maine.

Many colleges and universities are canceling off-campus study programs in China and helping students return home to the U.S. Bates has no programs or any students studying in China this semester. On our campus, staff members in the Center for Global Education are providing information and support to our students from China.

Medical staff at Bates Health Services will continue to monitor this evolving situation, following all available guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Maine Department of Health.

Please be assured that Bates Health Services and Central Maine Medical Center have an outbreak management plan should a confirmed case arise, but the best protection is prevention.

Some of the ways students can stay healthy are:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Below please find current information about the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the Centers for Disease Control. Since this is a fast-evolving scenario, you can access the most up-to-date information from the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Bates Health Services at healthservices@bates.edu.

Sincerely,

Erin Foster Zsiga, Senior Associate Dean of Students