March 6, 2020 - Update on Coronavirus

Dear Campus Community,

At Evergreen, we are committed to the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. We want to assure you we are closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19).  As of the date and time of this communication, to our knowledge no members of the Evergreen community have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There have been no recommendations from health authorities to alter or suspend campus operations. Evergreen campuses remain open.

Evergreen staff have implemented extra measures to clean and disinfect surfaces in public areas that are touched frequently, posted reminders about personal hygiene around campus, and made cleaning kits available to help campus residents stay healthy. You can get more specific information on Evergreen’s novel coronavirus information page.

Our response at Evergreen is being coordinated by the COVID-19 planning and response team, which meets daily. This team, headed by Wendy Endress, includes representatives from all college departments. This team is currently implementing measures for prevention and planning contingencies for services that would be impacted in the event of altered operations, including teaching, campus services, events, and travel.

We encourage Evergreen staff and faculty wishing to communicate about the virus to connect with us to ensure coordinated and unified responses to our community. If you are seeking authoritative, up-to-date local information, please consult the Thurston County Department of Health website.

On March 5 we simulated a stand-up of the Emergency Operations Center, which would be deployed in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 on campus. Decisions to alter campus operations due to COVID-19 would be made by senior leadership in consultation with county health and emergency management agencies, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and state officials. If there is a change in campus operations, you will be notified via our emergency notification system, Omnilert. Please make sure you are registered for text and email notifications.

As a reminder we can all take care of ourselves and our community by practicing good personal hygiene, and keeping our personal and work spaces clean. Remember to clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs. Many cleaning agents are effective to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

We are committed to being as prepared as possible to protect the health of the Evergreen community. We will continue to keep you regularly apprised, and please check the college’s novel coronavirus information page for updates and information.

If you have further questions please contact Wendy Endress who is chairing the COVID-19 Planning and Response Team at endressw@evergreen.edu. Please take care of yourselves and be kind to those directly impacted by COVID-19.

Best regards,

COVID-19 Planning & Response Team