We sent a message yesterday to the campus community alerting them to St. Lawrence County declaring a State of Emergency due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in their jurisdiction.
In the St. Lawrence County Legislature’s operations meeting last night, they attributed the increase in positive cases to social gatherings, restaurants and church services throughout the county. Their main objective in declaring the State of Emergency was to bring awareness of the increase and to ask for compliance with health and safety protocols.
Clarkson has one active positive case within the University community and 29 members of our campus faculty, staff and students are in a phase of quarantine or precautionary quarantine to further stop the spread. These quarantines came from off-campus activities. Please keep protecting the health and safety of all Golden Knights.
- Do the daily screening tool and seek medical advice and testing if you answer yes to any of the questions. Employee Screening Tools | Student Screening Tools
- Stay home if sick (Students, contact Student Health & Counseling Center SHAC@clarkson.edu | 315-268-6333).
- Stay local and limit travel to going to class, groceries, medical appointments and medication.
- Wear a mask.
- Social distance.
- Wash your hands.
Students can request a COVID-19 test before they depart campus. To request a test, please click here to fill out the testing request form by Friday, 11/13 at 4:30 PM. Testing will be offered on 11/17 and 11/23.
Because you are being diligent with all of these measures, we are continuing to remain in our Stage 3 for gatherings and club/recreation activities. We need everyone to remain diligent to health and safety protocols to maintain that status.
If you have any questions about this communication, please contact clarksonhr@clarkson.edu and/or me. Thank you for your commitment to the Clarkson values as part of everything we are doing to support our University community and greater region.
Kelly Chezum, VP for External Relations
Restart Communications Lead
kchezum@clarkson.edu
Sent 1 pm on November 9, 2020
TO: All Potsdam Employees and Students
Subject: COVID-READ: St Lawrence County Declares State of Emergency due to COVID-19 case uptick – Take added precautions
Potsdam Campus Community,
Late this morning, St. Lawrence County officials declared a state of emergency due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county and at the request of the local Public Health representatives.
Officials have shared with local media that the emergency has been declared out of an abundance of caution to encourage community members to follow the health and safety guidelines. Clarkson compels everyone to do the same: please adhere to your Clarkson Commitment, posted safety protocols and take the appropriate precautions to protect yourself and others: wear your mask fully over your nose and mouth is #1 of these protocols; practice good hygiene, abide by social distancing, do your daily screenings* and take other preventative measures.
Per President Collins’ Weekly message distributed last week, we also strongly advocate for everyone to remain on campus and limit community contact and exposure in these final days of the semester.
St. Lawrence County Legislature Chair Joseph Lightfoot, who authorized the order, indicated that more discussion will take place this evening at the County’s regularly scheduled Board meeting. If there are updates, we will share this information with you.
We understand that government declarations like this may cause concern in our immediate community. If you have any questions about this communication, please contact clarksonhr@clarkson.edu and/or me. We care about all of you and will adhere to complete transparency in our communications. Please stick to the game plan, maintain your diligence and keep looking out for your community.
Kelly Chezum, VP for External Relations
Restart Communications Lead
kchezum@clarkson.edu
*Bookmark and Access these daily screen tools at: Employee Screening Tools
Student Screening Tools to keep using and to act upon by seeking a medical evaluation and testing if you answer yes to any of these:
- Do you currently have a fever (temperature of 100.4 F or greater) without having taken any fever-reducing medications?
- Have you experienced any of the following COVID-19 related symptoms in the past 14 days: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell?
- Have you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or have you been instructed by a health care professional/public health official/contact tracing app to self-isolate or quarantine?
- Have you knowingly been in close (within 6 feet) or proximate (same enclosed environment, such as an office, but greater than 6 feet) contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days?