NY Campus Coronavirus Update

Dear NY Community,

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. NYC announced today that NYC public schools will close temporarily and move to remote instruction. Pacific College will remain open. Although this does not affect colleges at this time, we are continuing to monitor city COVID positivity rates and NYS/CDC guidelines. As we head toward the end of the semester, we’d like to update you on what we are doing to help reduce risk and keep our community safe.

Updates on Practical Class Sessions and Clinics

• All practical class/lab in-person sessions will finish before the Thanksgiving holiday on 11/24
• We added additional massage clinic shifts this week, so most massage clinic shifts will finish before the Thanksgiving holiday on 11/25
• We postponed the December in-person practical COMP sections (Point Location, CNT, cupping/moxa) to next semester
• We will send a community-wide email if someone tests positive for COVID at the NY campus. We follow contract tracing guidelines (anyone within 6 feet for 15 minutes) to determine who might have been exposed directly and reach out to them separately with further information
• We are continuing to monitor city and state positivity rates and guidelines in the event of a possible shutdown after Thanksgiving. We will communicate any updates via email

We want to underscore the importance of taking seriously the safety precautions such as wearing a mask, social distancing, and quarantining. We all must take the necessary precautions to protect those around us.

Safety Precautions and Community Guidelines

You can find the latest NY COVID Updates at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home. We strongly advise our community to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up take-out food, or receiving deliveries.
• If you do leave home, practice social distancing by staying 6 feet away from others and wearing a face covering at all times.
• Do not have gatherings in your home with anybody outside of your household (except for essential staff such as home health care workers or educators), even with trusted family or friends. Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to no more than 10 people. ​At indoor gatherings, even with family, wear a mask, keep the area ventilated and the time limited.
• Avoid all non-essential, out-of-state travel; if travel is essential, quarantining or testing negative prior/after travel is required, depending on which state a traveler is originating from. More information can be found here: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory.
• Comply with City and State Orders, including wearing face coverings, limiting gatherings, and closure of in-person service at bars, restaurants, and gyms at 10 p.m.
• Practice social distancing and avoid touching surfaces frequently touched by others if you go outside to get fresh air. ​Practice hand hygiene upon your return.
• Use remote modes of communication like phone or video chat instead of visiting friends or family, especially on holidays such as Thanksgiving.

During this time that cases are surging across the country, I ask that everyone be diligent in wearing their masks, social distancing and reporting signs and symptoms when they appear, not just prior to coming to campus. Please use this link to report an illness, positive test, or exposure as soon as you experience any of these situations. The sooner you report these concerns, the sooner we can take all necessary steps to protect our community.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to send them in advance of the next Town Hall on Thursday, December 3 at 12 pm, and we will be happy to answer them with the community then.

Thank you,
Malcolm Youngren
Chief Operating Officer
Campus Director—New York

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