Campus Message: March 2020

Mar 9, 2020 —

Office of the President

Message from the President

This weekend, the Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) confirmed the first case of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Fresno County. This is a travel-related case and was not community-acquired. Two travelers presented themselves for testing after returning from a Grand Princess cruise on March 6, 2020. One (1) of these tests has returned as a presumptive positive case. The family of this individual is self-monitoring with FCPDH oversight at this time.

At this time, the FCDPH says there is no immediate threat to the general public, and the FCDPH is not recommending cancellation of events, closure of schools, or buildings at this time. It is important to note that these current cases are travel related and not caused by community transmission. At this time, per the FCDPH, neither of the travelers are believed to be affiliated with the Fresno City College community.

Similarly, Madera County has reported a travel related incident and are monitoring the situation. They continue to be in close communication with the college.

Precautionary Steps

It is important to remember that we had previously taken precautionary steps when the H1N1 virus occurred in 2009. At that time, we deployed a number of hand sanitizer stations throughout the college. We coupled that with a communication campaign that highlighted the everyday preventive actions that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends we do each day to help prevent the spread of any disease. These same protocols were shared in the March 7, 2020 advisory to students and can be found at the bottom of this message.

We ask that you continue to take precautions and know that the College is taking proactive steps to ensure that our existing FCC hand sanitization stations are replenished frequently, soap and paper towels are well maintained in bathrooms, and additional tissue, cleaning spray and sanitizing wipes for high traffic areas are available. Custodial staff have been provided with additional disinfecting supplies and will be cleaning surfaces more regularly. College and District managers have participated in a number of conference calls and meetings and we are relying on the professional assessments of the California Department of Public Health as the primary source of information and guidance on COVID-19 for our institution.

A notice was sent on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 with information from the “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommending the following everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory disease:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Stay at home if you become sick with respiratory symptoms such as fever and cough.
Cover your cough/sneeze with your sleeve or a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. These can be located throughout the campus.
Avoid sharing drinks, eating utensils, sports equipment, towels and bedding

Reporting of Potential Health Issue

If you are tested positive for COVID-19, or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, please report this information immediately to the Fresno City College Health Coordinator, Dr. Lilli Goishi-Bessey. You may call 559.442.8268 Or email: lilli.goishi-bessey@fresnocitycollege.edu

Webpage/Social Mediam Communication

This webpage will be the central location for COVID-19 information. We will also post information frequent social media communication as well.

College Events

As stated earlier, per the FCDPH, we are not recommending cancellation of classes, events, or buildings at this time. Each event will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will follow the March 7, 2020 guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

As a result, we have postponed two Fresno City College events as they did include participants from areas that have had known community spread Coronavirus cases. It is the belief of FCC administration and event planners that it would be best to error on the side of caution and avoid these two specific gatherings. Those two events were last Friday’s Philosophy Club guest speaker on Sanctuary Cities and the upcoming Forensics Conference.

Planning for Possible Modification in Delivery of Instruction

College leadership is in close communication with the State Chancellor’s Office on this topic. Similarly College Deans have met to plan for the possible shift to a DE (online) delivery of instruction. This topic will be a topic of ongoing discussion with faculty. We will communicate with you as this continues to be refined with the assistance of local faculty leaders and deans as well as guidance from the system office. We will keep you abreast of these developments as they become available.

Dr. Carole Goldsmith
President

Fresno City College
1101 E. University Ave.
Fresno, CA 93741
Phone: (559) 489-2212
Fax: (559) 499-6045
www.fresnocitycollege.edu