March 13 COVID-19 Update

March 13, 2020March 19, 2020last updated on March 19, 2020 at 15:59 COVID-19

As of today, March 13, The Citadel can confirm the following:

• No confirmed cases. No suspected cases.
• No changes to Spring Break; please abide by CDC travel guidelines and advisories.
• If there will be any major changes to campus operations or return schedules and protocols, you will be updated no later than Wed. March 18.

Cadets and students have departed for spring break and classes are set to resume March 23. College officials are working with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, and county health officials, as well as monitoring advisories from the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control. As we coordinate with these officials, we will modify operations as appropriate to protect the safety of our cadets, students, faculty and staff. We will communicate changes through the website, social media, emails and/or Bulldog Alerts as appropriate.

IMPORTANT EVENT UPDATES

All campus events cancelled through March 31. Following the recognition event this morning, all events this month are canceled including the Corps Day, March to Marion Square, Principled Leadership Symposium, dress parades, guest lectures, the Biloxi Blues play performance and other scheduled events.
Southern Conference suspended all athletic competitions through March 30. SoCon and associated college leaders will reassess conditions and provide updates at the end of the month.
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation auction is postponed until further notice. “There is nothing we love more than seeing our supporters come together towards the benefit of Citadel Athletics. However, the health and well-being of our TCBF family is more important than our plans to come together. We hope many of you will consider converting your ticket purchase to a 100% tax-deductible gift. Please email tcbf@citadel.edu with questions.”

RETURN PROTOCOLS FOLLOWING SPRING BREAK

During the break it is recommended that, to assist with community mitigation, everyone follow CDC guidelines. These include practicing social distancing, which helps “calm” the pace of disease transmission by keeping the healthy from the sick through avoiding close contact with all persons, specially the elderly or those with sensitive health conditions. This means staying at least 6 feet apart from another person in any setting. In addition, avoid group settings, wash hands thoroughly and regularly, use a tissue when you sneeze and avoiding touching your face.

At this time, classes are scheduled to resume March 23. (The Corps is scheduled for reconstitution on Sunday, March 22.) The Citadel is prepared to move temporarily to an online learning model if in-person class instruction is disrupted. Should that decision be made, the campus community would be notified no later than March 18.

Return protocols are as follows:

If you were exposed to anyone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, do not return to campus. You are asked to self-quarantine, following the guidelines of the CDC, and to report to campus after that 14-day period if no symptoms surface. Notify your TAC officer or department head should this be needed.

Any students experiencing symptoms of fever, cough and trouble breathing need to see their doctor or go to their city’s COVID-19 testing center. Anyone with a confirmed case should not come to campus and should call or email their TAC officer and chain of command, or for students, your department head, and remain in isolation a minimum of 14 days until cleared by a medical professional. In Charleston, MUSC has a drive through testing center at the Citadel Mall and all SC residents can be tested through the MUSC virtual test site here at no cost, using the code COVID19.

Remember, those same symptoms could also be something else, like influenza, which can also be transferred to classmates. That is why a medical professional must be seen before re-entering campus for those experiencing symptoms. Your doctor will give you instructions on when it is safe for you to return to campus.

Cadets: the Infirmary will reopen on Sunday, March 22 to answer medical questions and assist with authorized medical leave. Be sure to carry a copy of the paperwork from your visit to a doctor to show the Infirmary when you return. If you will need medical leave, call the Infirmary, at (843) 953-5447 on March 22 after 12 p.m. If you have cadet-specific questions before March 22, email Dr. Capell (carey.capell@citadel.edu) when needed.

GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYEES

Please see the email sent recently asking you to fill out a form if you are traveling during spring break.
Many of us continue working over the break. If you think you are sick, or you think a colleague is sick, communicate your concerns to your supervisor.
You should say home if you are sick. If you report to work sick, you may be sent home by your supervisor.
If you experience COVID-19 symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty breathing, there are two ways to be tested locally. MUSC has a drive-through COVID-19 testing center at the Citadel Mall in West Ashley. State employees can receive a free virtual screening from MUSC by going to this link, creating an account and using the code COVID19 when logging in.
If a health professional recommends quarantine for you and you are a state employee who accrues leave, you may use sick leave. If a health professional recommends quarantine for you and you are an employee in a non-leave accruing position, please contact Citadel HR to discuss your options.
If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Citadel HR at 953-6922.

GENERAL TRAVEL ADVICE

To protect yourself and those around you, we recommend that for the foreseeable future you avoid international personal travel. If you do choose to travel to a high-risk location, please understand you may be subject to additional screenings and/or governmental-imposed quarantine requirements before you can return to campus.

As the virus continues to spread throughout the world and the United States, we also encourage you to re-consider plans that could restrict freedom of movement (such as cruises) and monitor the CDC’s website of domestic locations you may be considering.

Citadel officials are committed to providing ongoing, accurate information to our entire university community. You can find campus updates, notifications, resources and latest news on Citadel Today.

Campus constitutes with questions can email HealthAlerts@Citadel.edu