To Students, Faculty and Staff,
I write to update you on several new developments surrounding Clark University’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. There are no known cases of COVID-19 at Clark University or in Worcester County.
At this time, we have the following updates:
- Clark has formed a COVID-19 Response Team, which comprises senior administrators representing every area of the University and is closely monitoring developments in this rapidly changing situation. As needed, it will implement procedures and protocols that can help safeguard the health and well-being of the campus community.
- We have created a web page to keep the Clark community informed about the University’s COVID-19 response, specify personal preventative measures recommended by global health experts, maintain University updates, and provide links to an array of related resources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. State Department, the World Health Organization, and the Mass. Department of Public Health. The page also lists the members of the COVID-19 Response Team. Because of the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the University, we suggest checking the website frequently for the latest Clark updates.
- On Saturday, February 29, Clark advised 12 students studying at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, to return home following the U.S. State Department’s elevation of the travel alert in Italy from Level 2 (exercise increased caution) to Level 3 (reconsider travel). While no cases of COVID-19 are reported in Perugia, the Institute has suspended in-class activities as a precaution, and students will complete their coursework online. Given the public health considerations, it is with an abundance of caution that we have asked the students returning from the Italy program not to come to the Clark campus for 14 days after their arrival in the U.S.
- The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced that it can now test for COVID-19. This will improve the turnaround time for any such testing that may become necessary. Previously, CDC had been the only center in the country that could test for the virus. There is one confirmed case for COVID-19 in Massachusetts, and that person is showing positive signs of recovery. Read more here.
We will send further updates as information changes or the situation necessitates. All such updates will be sent via email as well as being posted on the University’s COVID-19 web page. As we continue to address the many issues related to the virus, we ask that you refer to that web page as your primary source for related Clark updates and information.
Sincerely,
David P. Angel
President
Paul Wykes
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team
