March 9 COVID-19 Update

March 9, 2020March 19, 2020last updated on March 19, 2020 at 15:59 COVID-19

At this time no one at The Citadel is showing symptoms of COVID-19 or being tested for symptoms, and there are no cases of COVID-19 on campus.

We are actively monitoring the dynamic situation presented by COVID-19 and are making decisions with guidance from liaisons at S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Centers for Disease Control, among other resources.

To keep everyone fully apprised and because spring furlough begins Friday, Citadel President, Gen. Glenn Walters, will speak to the Corps tomorrow at 1 p.m. in McAllister Field House. All members of the campus community are invited to attend.

Several other important notes:

Faculty members are asked to continue working toward populating courses on CitLearn where possible as precaution to support any cadets or students whose ability to travel back to campus after spring furlough is affected by coronavirus impacts.
You may have heard that a non-Citadel attendee at a conference in Washington D.C. attended by 55 members of a cadet club has a confirmed case of COVID-19. We have the names of those cadets and are actively monitoring the situation, but again, ten days after their return, no one is reporting symptoms. The Maryland Department of Health screened thousands of employees of the hotel where CPAC was conducted. To date, no additional cases have been found, and the Maryland Department of Health has not implemented any restrictions for those employees. Currently, we have no reports of additional CPAC attendees, participants or staff testing positive for coronavirus.
And a note on official business travel: any employee not comfortable with traveling over the coming may cancel the travel without financial penalty. Questions can be directed to Kristi Cowart, Director of Accounting Operations at 843-953-5028 or cowartk@citadel.edu.

Instructions for employees from Citadel Human Resources:

If an employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, they may choose to do a free virtual visit with MUSC telehealth. It is available to all state employees in all counties in South Carolina. To do a MUSC telehealth visit, click this link and, follow the instructions to create an account and use the promo code “COVID19.”

The following are important reminders for employees:

Wash hands regularly and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
If an employee believes they are sick or a colleague is sick, they should report their observations promptly to their supervisor.
Employees who are sick should stay home. Employees who report to work sick may be sent home by their supervisors.
If an employee or qualifying family member contracts COVID-19, it constitutes a “serious health condition” under the FMLA and HR will accommodate as needed.
If an employee is quarantined, they may use sick leave if a health professional recommends quarantine for a state employee who accrues leave. If a health care professional recommends quarantine for an employee in a non-leave accruing position, please contact Citadel HR to discuss options.

If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Citadel HR at 953-6922.

This guidance is based on the information available at the time of this communication. Employees should continue to monitor this evolving situation and check the DHEC website regularly.