Emergency Notification Test

Dear Safety Blog,

VCSU is conducting a test of NotiFind. This is only a test. In an
emergency, additional information would follow. This concludes the test.

ND Flu website

Stay up-to-date on flu activity in North Dakota by visiting www.ndflu.com.  ND Department of Health manages this site.  The site includes an excellent map tracking various flu cases across the state.

 

Exit 292 update

The North Dakota Department of Transportation will close northeast and southeast ramps of exit 292 on Interstate 94, Kathryn Road, beginning Thursday, September 17.  NDDOT expects the closure will last for approximately two weeks.

Please use detour and alternative routes.

CDC H1N1 Recommendations

Recommendations for Residential Students

Students who are ill with H1N1 should “self-isolate”—i.e., severely curtail their interactions with others except to seek medical care—until at least 24 hours after they no longer display fever symptoms without the aid of fever-reducing medicine.

If possible, ill students should return home to recuperate and minimize the risk of infecting others if they live nearby and can do so without using public transportation.

 

Students who cannot return home should be isolated as much as possible. (The CDC suggests students serve as “flu buddies,” pairing up to take care of each other when ill to limit contact between sick and well people, but this may not be practical for all campuses.)

Schools with shared dormitory facilities rather than private dormitory rooms may wish to set up alternative isolation areas for sick students who cannot leave campus.

 

Recommendations for Commuter Students

Commuter students ill with H1N1 should practice self-isolation (whether at their own home or the home of a friend/relative) and not return to campus until they have recovered.

Commuter students who can utilize distance-learning methods may be able to continue studies even while ill. (This also applies to resident students.)

 

Recommendations for Faculty, Staff, and Administration

Faculty, staff, and administration suffering from H1N1 should follow the same self-isolation guidelines as students.

 

Faculty are encouraged not to require doctors’ notes to excuse absences from class due to illness; administrators are encouraged not to require doctors’ notes to excuse absences from work. This is due to the CDC’s anticipation that students and employees may not be able to obtain doctors’ notes in a timely manner after recovering from H1N1 or other illnesses due to the burden on health care facilities.

 

Facilities administrators should ensure facilities—particularly dormitories, classrooms, elevators, dining halls, and other high-contact areas—are cleaned frequently.

 

Administrators and faculty are encouraged to develop distance learning strategies, flextime and remote working arrangements, and other methods of limiting face-to-face contact while maintaining operations in the event of a campus outbreak of H1N1 flu. Such planning should include course coverage for faculty and continuity of business operations for administrators and staff.

 

Administrators are encouraged to tailor leave policies to accommodate the possibility of a widespread outbreak of H1N1 on campus and/or further CDC recommendations for campus closures/event cancellations in case of a major outbreak.

Senior administrators are encouraged to discuss setting up vaccination clinics on campus when vaccine supplies for H1N1 become available (at this writing, estimated to be October 2009). AASCU will continue to monitor the situation closely and advise members as the fall flu season develops.

 

Information Resource Links

CDC guidance specific to colleges and universities: http://www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredguidance.html

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Executive Report: U.S. Preparations for the 2009-H1N1 Influenza: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/PCAST_H1N1_Report.pdf

Federal one-stop information site http://www.flu.gov/ 

CDC flu site http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ http://www.dhs.gov/files//programs/swine-flu.shtm (Homeland Security flu site)

U.S. Health and Human Services flu site http://www.hhs.gov/

U.S. Department of Education flu site http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/pandemic/index.html

 

 

H1N1 Information

CDC recently published updated guidance for higher education. 

 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/guidance  - guidance for universities

 

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/institutions/guidance/technical.htm  - technical report for the guidance

 

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit  - communications toolkit

Traffic update

I-94 exit 292 still has traffic problems, continue to use alternative exits.  The alley running behind the campus is closed to thru-traffic.  Crews continue to work on the McCarthy parking lot and road.

 

The following parking lots are now open West Student Center, North Student Center, West Foss, East Foss, and West Science.  Construction continues on East Science (gravel).

West Student Center lot closing

The West Student Center parking lot will close August 18 and remain closed for a couple days.  Crews will work to repair and resurface the lot.  Please use the Mythaler and North Student Center lots.