Visit Carleton’s COVID-19 website.

March 12, 2020

To all Members of the Carleton Community.

The COVID-19 situation has continued to evolve since my message of earlier this week. Notably, two cases have now been identified in Ottawa.

At the present time, there are no COVID-19 cases in the Carleton community. There are, however, a few individuals who are self-isolating due to recent travel. The university has undertaken appropriate mitigation measures under the direction of Ottawa Public Health.

The safety of the Carleton community is our top priority and all structures are in place to make decisions quickly in a rapidly changing environment. This is a matter of making the right decisions at the right moment, neither prematurely nor too late.

As of today, we are postponing some of the large events that were planned to occur on campus this weekend, notably the March Break Open House, FIRST Robotics competition and Relay for Life. In addition, the upcoming Athletics March Break Camp has been cancelled.

As the Provost communicated to all teaching staff, the semester is not at risk, but we may have to move to online instruction for the remainder of the term. This could happen as quickly as next week. A full contingency plan for final exams is being finalized and will be communicated shortly by the Provost.

As of today, we are suspending all travel outside Canada that is not vital to our academic mission. More detailed information will be communicated Monday at the latest. The university will reimburse cancelled plane tickets and any other reasonable expenses incurred.

Any questions not answered by the Carleton coronavirus information website and its FAQ section should be forwarded to covidinfo@carleton.ca.

Everyone should continue to take normal precautions to reduce the spread of germs. This includes:

Staying home if you are sick

Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you have just washed your hands

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your arm, not your hand

We encourage you to visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus for the latest information.

If you have any concerns or symptoms, please contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. Students who live in residence should contact the Residence Commons Reception Desk at 613-520-2600, ext. 5609.

As with any developing situation, the spread of misinformation poses a significant risk to the health and safety of our community. Please ensure that the information you read and share online comes from credible sources like Ottawa Public Health, the Ontario Ministry of Health or the Public Health Agency of Canada.

I am proud of the measured and thoughtful response of our community as the situation continues to evolve. We will keep the community informed about additional information and mitigation measures as they arise.

Sincerely,

Benoit-Antoine Bacon

President and Vice-Chancellor

Thursday, March 12, 2020 in Coronavirus

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