Coronavirus - Confirmed Cases in Fresno and Madera Counties

Mar 8, 2020 —

As concerns about the Coronavirus emerge, please know that State Center Community College District is in contact with the California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office, Governor’s Office, federal, state and local health officials.

While the Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) and the Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) have each confirmed a case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in their counties, these are travel-related cases and were not community-acquired. These residents are self-quarantined and the FCDPH/MCDPH says there is no immediate threat to the general public.

The District and its Colleges have coordinated Incident Response Teams that are closely monitoring this evolving situation to ensure we are up-to-date on the latest information and are modeling best health practices for employees and the public. The District and each College and Center are making preparations in the event of any impact or disruption to site operations.

As the situation evolves, we remain focused on balancing two imperatives: ensuring that we take prudent precautions to protect our community, while continuing our daily education and research activities in ways that are appropriate under the circumstances. We are in close communication with California Community College Chancellor’s Office and will follow the direction of the Fresno and Madera County Department of Public Health officials before we make any decisions regarding significant changes to the delivery of instruction, college services and district and college operations. Consistent with other California public educational agencies which have had confirmed cases in their county, we are not planning to cancel classes or suspend or modify operations at this time.

District representatives are in regular contact with both the Fresno and Madera County Department of Public Health. Both agencies have protocols in place to ensure quick and decisive communication and action as needed. We continue to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health (through FCDPH and MCDPH).

The custodial staff throughout the District have implemented a cleaning protocol, including the use of disinfectants, and we modified cleaning routines to focus on increased sanitization of frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

SCCCD Student Health Centers also adheres to a high standard of infection control and prevention. Increased sanitization efforts include disinfecting counters and cleaning waiting areas are cleaned multiple times a day.

Please continue to check the Chancellor’s Office COVID-19  web resources page for information on emergency planning, advice for those experiencing possible symptoms (stay at home and contact your health care provider or local public health agency), crisis communications strategies, tips for containing the spread of the virus and travel recommendations for study abroad programs.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and FCDPH and MCDPH will update the communities as more information becomes available. Given the fluid nature of the situation, please check back frequently to their webpages for updated information: Fresno Department of Public Health and Madera County of Public Health. Valuable updates are also provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Beyond the District preparedness measures, here are actions that you can take to ensure we all stay as healthy as possible:

Practice daily preventative care:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, for 20 seconds at a time.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Stay home if you are sick, are experiencing fever and respiratory symptoms (such as fever with coughing or difficulty breathing/shortness of breath).
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work and school.
- Practice healthy habits: Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
- If you have not received your annual flu shot, please schedule one with your provider to help protect yourself against the seasonal flu.
Remain calm:
- While the progression of COVID-19 is still emerging, the CDC is reporting that for the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.

If you have medical related questions, contact your health care provider or your local County Public Health Department.

If you are not feeling well, we encourage you to adjust your schedules and stay home to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Health and safety is State Center Community College District’s top priority. We will provide updates on the District's website and by email when appropriate.

Lastly, I wish to express my gratitude to all of those in our college community and beyond that are working tirelessly to address this public health challenge.

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul Parnell
Chancellor
State Center Community College District