Last night, we learned of the first reported case of coronavirus (COVID-19) within our Pace Community. At midday today, we learned of a second. Both are New York City students.
In both cases, students recognized their symptoms and visited an emergency room for tests. Neither student has been on campus since becoming aware of their symptoms.
We believe that neither student was symptomatic while on campus, but we’re tracking their movements through campus and will implement Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended cleaning protocols where appropriate. The New York City Department of Health is no longer tracking prior contacts of new cases. We are working with the affected University departments to make sure community members are aware of these developments.
This news is serious. It was also inevitable. Throughout New York, and across the country, we will see many more positive diagnoses in the coming weeks. There will likely be more cases among our community. This is a tough time for all of us, and we’ll do whatever we can to support everyone in the Pace Community as we work to overcome these challenges. Please remember that students have access to the
Counseling Centers
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Faculty and staff can access Cigna’s
Employee Assistance Program
for support.
These students are getting the care they need. They have shown responsibility by isolating themselves, by getting tested, by informing University staff and people they’ve been in contact with. We’re very proud of these positive behaviors, and we wish them all the best for speedy and complete recoveries. We’ll do whatever we can to support them through their illnesses—as we will for anyone else in the University community who is diagnosed with coronavirus.
Please continue to take all the recommended precautions. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Stay home. Maintain social distance. These steps are crucial to protecting ourselves and our communities. If you think you’re displaying systems, please contact your health care provider or University Health Care via the
Online Patient Portal
. If you’ve tested positive, please notify a faculty member or your supervisor.
We have procedures in place to comprehensively address any future cases at Pace, including for isolation, notification, and cleaning. A message later today from Brian Anderson, our Director of Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety, will outline those procedures. You can find all of our announcements and policies at
www.pace.edu/coronavirus
.
For now, please be careful and be safe and join us in sending all of our best wishes to these ailing students. We look forward to their full recoveries, and we know we’ll all get through this.
Sincerely,
