Two cases of COVID-19 have now been reported in Florida

Posted: March 2, 2020

As developments with the coronavirus continue, we would like to inform you of the following update:

According to the Florida Department of Health, two cases of coronavirus have now been reported in Florida in Hillsborough and Manatee Counties. Although these cases are not connected to our Gannon campuses, we want to update the University on the development in this location. At this time, there are no cases at our Ruskin, Florida or Erie campuses.    

We are continuing to monitor the cases in Florida and all locations in which we have students studying abroad and have current students, faculty and staff traveling for ABST and GIFT programming over spring break.

The University will follow the guidelines and protocols of the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as needed to maintain the well-being of our Gannon community. We will continue to communicate as new and related information or policy developments occur.

For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

To best ensure your continued health and well-being, we urge the Gannon community to follow the illness prevention and travel precautions being issued by the CDC, including: 

• Wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds or more under warm water with soap.
• Use alcohol-based sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol if unable to wash hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, face and mouth with unwashed hands.
• If you cough, sneeze or have a runny nose, always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.
• Throw used tissues into a trash can immediately and wash your hands thoroughly before touching anything or anyone.
• Do not share food, drink, utensils or dishes with others, and wash dishes, cups and silverware after use to prevent someone else from using contaminated items.
• If you have a persistent cough, you can wear a facemask to prevent spread to others, regardless of illness type.
• Stay home when you are sick, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Keep in mind that as we are in the midst of normal flu season, should you attempt to enter another country or to re-enter the U.S. with a fever, you could experience difficulties even if you are not sick with the coronavirus.
• If you travel to an area that has a risk of contagious disease and are concerned about symptoms upon your return to campus, please call Gannon's Health and Wellness Center at 814-871-7622.

Gannon University has also taken several preventative measures and steps in response and to prepare for possible further spread of the virus, including:

• Organized a University task force to continuously monitor the coronavirus, as well as communicate with key Gannon constituencies, including ABST and GIFT travelers, study abroad students and global students.
• Assisting students studying abroad in Rome with their return to the United States to ensure their continued health while minimizing disruption to their academics.
• Coordinating frequent cleanings of equipment in labs, classrooms and exercise facilities, as well as maintaining the appropriate daily levels of hand sanitizing products available on campus.
• Developed a webpage including all institutional communication about the coronavirus as a resource for our Gannon community members at: https://www.gannon.edu/Emergency-Information/  

The safety and well-being of all our Gannon community members is our utmost priority. We will continue to assess and plan to uphold this, communicating updates accordingly.