Health Advisory: Coronavirus Update

The outbreak of coronavirus is an evolving international news story. We have no reason to believe that Marymount Manhattan is at any particular risk, but we are taking all reasonable precautions, which include close monitoring of the evolving information coming from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We will continue to do everything we can to protect and maintain the health of the MMC community, and we thank you for doing your part by following the recommendations summarized below.

In the United States, there are currently 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across seven states. To our knowledge, there have been no reports of infection in New York City. At this time, the immediate health risk to the general American population is low. Currently, this virus is NOT spreading in the United States.

Following the recommendations of local, state, and national health authorities to make sure we are undertaking evidence-informed procedures, the College has not made changes to classes, activities, operations, and events on  campus. Please be assured, however, that planning is underway for potential effects to the remainder of the semester, spring break, and our summer sessions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Warning (the highest level of warning), urging all U.S. residents to avoid nonessential travel to China and South Korea. As a result, the College is now restricting student, faculty, and staff travel to China or South Korea until further notice. Read more here.

The CDC has also issued Alert Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions for Iran, Italy, and Japan. The CDC says that, “these destinations are experiencing sustained community transmission… Older adults and those with chronic medical conditions should consider postponing nonessential travel.” MMC is closely following these alerts and will act if conditions change.

MMC has published a series of FAQs around COVID-19 and will continue to update the website as needed. Please use these additional resources for more information:

• World Health Organization (WHO) Information about Coronavirus
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Situation Summary
• NYC Department of Health Information About Coronavirus

Finally, we know that many in our community may have family or friends affected by this outbreak. We encourage anyone who needs support during this time to contact MMC’s Counseling and Wellness Center or a member of the Student Affairs team.

Published: February 27, 2020