SPRING BREAK SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT
Published on Mar 12, 2020
------------------------------------------------------
Travel Warning
If you, as a student, faculty or staff traveling to a country with a CDC travel Warning - Level 3 or an area experiencing widespread or sustained transmission of COVID-19, upon return you will be asked to self-quarantine at your home for 14 days before you can return to campus. You could also be subject to assessment by federal health officials at airports upon re-entry into the U.S. In addition, Kentucky health officials could restrict your movement within the community. Currently, China, Iran, Italy and South Korea meet this criterion. Monitor the CDC website regularly as other countries could be elevated without notice.
Visit the COVID-19 page created by KCTCS for more information and contacts concerning the pandemic.
------------------------------------------------------
With Spring Break upon us, travel plans are in place and many are preparing for a much-needed break from classes. Before leaving on your spring break trip, KCTCS recommends travelers take the following steps to ensure their safety:
- Monitor travel alerts daily.
- Visit the CDC website for any travel alerts.
- Read any alerts for travelers from the State Department.
- Do not travel if you are sick.
While traveling:
Prevention
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for more than 20 seconds
- Especially after using the restroom, touching public items, coughing, sneezing, and before touching your face and eating
- If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand rub (hand sanitizer) that is 60% alcohol or greater
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you must, wash your hands beforehand
- Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. If using a tissue, immediately throw the tissue away; do not store them in your pocket
- Avoid public transport as much as possible. Confined spaces such as buses, trains,
subways, and airplanes may put you at a higher risk of infection
- If travelling via public transportation, consider having disinfectant wipes to wipe down armrests, seat trays, handles, etc. that you may come in contact with.
- Avoid sitting next to someone that is ill (coughing, sneezing, etc.)
Situational awareness
- Maintain situational awareness while travelling in public - i.e. be aware of your surroundings (including people who are sick) and try to distance yourself as appropriate
- Avoid areas that you feel might make your more likely to be exposed
- Know how to get local information about the situation, as these situations can rapidly evolve
- Be aware that you may be quarantined upon entry/departure if traveling
While outside your home
- Practice social distancing: stay at least 2 meters (6 feet) away from you and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. You can inhale droplets that contain the virus if you are close to someone who is coughing or sneezing
- Avoid unnecessary contact with people and highly touched surfaces (i.e. shaking hands, doorknobs, others’ phones, public computers)
If you are feeling ill
- Stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and a slightly runny nose, until you recover
- If you develop a fever, cough, and are having difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. This may be signs of a respiratory infection or another serious condition. Call ahead to ensure that you are going to the most appropriate health facility
- If you have been advised to quarantine yourself at home by a medical provider or local government body, follow the guidance given to you
- After returning from spring break, monitor their health. If you traveled somewhere that has a novel coronavirus outbreak and develop a fever, cough or breathing issues, you should contact your health care provider immediately for instructions.
