Gonzaga sends schoolwide update on students returning from canceled Florence program
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga University sent an email update about the next steps for students returning from their canceled Florence study abroad program.
Provost and Senior Vice President Deena J. González sent the update to Gonzaga students and staff on Sunday, thanking the community for its outpouring of support following the suspension of the Gonzaga-in-Florence program.
RELATED: Gonzaga University suspends classes at Florence campus amid coronavirus outbreak
The update reports that the CDC and U.S. State Department moved parts of Italy to a “Warning Level 4” status—indicating that transmission appears high and advising against non-essential travel to Lombardy and Veneto.
“The health and welfare of our Gonzaga University students and community members continues to be Gonzaga’s number one priority,” the email reads, “As a community, we seek to be supportive of our Gonzaga community members traveling abroad, and we seek to make decisions and provide advice with the aim of doing our part in reducing the spread of COVID-19.”
Due to the frequently changing nature of the situation, the University warns that some returning students may encounter “differing types of direction” from authorities, depending on their entry point back into the U.S.
Gonzaga says they are standing by the World Health Organization’s guidelines, encouraging returning students to closely monitor themselves for symptoms over the next two weeks, taking their temperature twice a day. If they develop a mild cough or low-grade fever, they are urged to isolate themselves at home.
These students are also encouraged to talk with their healthcare providers, over the phone, and give them details about recent travel and symptoms.
Individuals who have returned from an area where COVID-19 is believed to exist or is spreading should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and take their temperature twice a day.
If they develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 99.1 F or more) they should stay at home and self-isolate. This means avoiding close contact (one meter/3 feet or nearer) with other people, including family members. They should also telephone their healthcare provider or the local public health department, giving them details of their recent travel and symptoms.
Gonzaga has since put up a page on their website detailing the coronavirus.
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