St. Lawrence College update on COVID-19 for March 12, 2020

St. Lawrence College is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation. To ensure we do our part for containment and reduce the likelihood of exposure for our community, effective immediately and until further notice, there will be no SLC business-related travel. This includes international and domestic (within Canada and Ontario) travel for all college employees and students. Additionally, travel between our campuses and office locations will be limited to essential trips and must be pre-approved by managers.

All other discretionary travel should be avoided, if possible and for on- or off-campus meetings the college strongly encourages employees to use options such as phone-in, Skype, and video conferencing. Our goal is to do our part in reducing the possibility of exposure to or spread of the virus and we trust our community partners and external contacts will understand these preventative measures.

Personal Travel
With March Break approaching, employees may have made plans to travel. SLC is asking employees to closely monitor and follow the Government of Canada guidelines and travel advisories.

For travel information: latest travel advice
Global Affairs Canada: notice regarding cruise ship travel

SLC suggests any student, employee, or community contact (contractor, partner, guest speaker) who returns from a personal trip to a country or region identified as “Level 3” follow the self-isolation protocol outlined by the Government of Canada. As the list of areas affected is changing daily, people should be aware of possible changes in conditions or status while travelling. Anyone who needs to self-isolate will be required to inform their manager, program coordinator, or HR.

Prevention and awareness
SLC has adopted enhanced cleaning protocols across our campuses and has increased the availability and visibility of hand sanitizer and reminders about handwashing protocols. You will notice increased numbers of cleaning staff and some possible closures of washrooms during the day for increased thorough cleanings.

We appreciate your consideration and patience while these measures are in place and ask everyone to do their part in helping prevent the spread of infection. The simple measures outlined below are proven methods of reducing the spread of germs and infection.
• Regular, thorough handwashing
• Cough etiquette (into a sleeve or tissue, discard the tissue immediately and properly)
• Stay home/limit exposure to others if unwell or fear you have been exposed to COVID-19

On-campus events and gatherings
All on- and off- campus events planned between now and April 10 are being cancelled or postponed until a later date. Certain contracted bookings are being assessed on a case-by-case basis. No new bookings or plans for events hosted on our campuses will take place during this time. This applies to events where members of our external community are invited and to events that are taking place off-campus, at community locations. Decisions regarding future events will be made on a week- by week- basis.

Alternate options for events like Open House and College Conversations will be explored and communicated when a plan is in place. People with concerns about events in the future, like convocation should make their travel plans considering the possibility of cancellation, to be safe. We ask people to be understanding if an external client cancels plans to come to campus.

SLC is acting in the best interests of our students, staff, faculty, and community partners. We appreciate that the situation is evolving quickly, and we will continue to send updates as decisions are confirmed. The web page dedicated to SLC news related to COVID-19 is a source for updates, and our local public health officials continue to be invaluable in leading our community’s response and preparedness.

We appreciate your patience as we work together through this unprecedented and difficult situation. The health and safety of our communities remains our top priority.