Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
Leadership at TUJ is closely monitoring the developments of the virus and its impact on our community (in conjunction with the Temple University Main Campus and Showa Women’s University), and is tracking information from the Japanese Government and its Ministries.
Please note that, in addition to moving to all classes online until Monday, March 16th, unless otherwise notified, as a related measure, we have selectively canceled or postponed a number of non-essential events in the next few weeks that would have brought large groups of non-students to our campus. The intention of these actions is to cooperate in society-wide efforts to facilitate “social distancing” and thereby reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the severity of its possible impacts on health systems, individuals and organizations. We will consider later whether to cancel or postpone other similar events.
As the President and Provost stated in their message to the Temple University Community I sent you last night, no coronavirus cases have been reported at any of Temple’s domestic or international campuses.
Also note that Temple University will require any students, faculty or staff who have traveled during the previous 14 days to countries designated by the CDC as having sustained transmission, to self-monitor for 14 days from their arrival in the United States, before returning to classes or work on Main Campus. This includes Japan, therefore you will have to self-monitor for 14 days after returning to the United States and before returning to the Main Campus, or Main Campus housing.
Self-monitoring for 14 days means staying at home and avoiding group gatherings and public spaces, including Temple’s campus. You should also monitor your own health carefully, taking your temperature at least once a day.
Further, in order to help limit the possible spread of COVID-19 in the TUJ community, going forward we would like to request that all students take the following steps if you have a fever or other cold symptoms:
- Conscientiously use good hygiene measures and cough etiquette;
- Refrain from going out; and
- Measure and record your body temperature daily.
- If you take a break from classes, please reach out to your professors; you are responsible for missed classes and meeting deadlines.
- If you have cold symptoms (including a fever higher than 38 degrees Celsius 100.4, cough or difficulty breathing) or have been in contact with confirmed case of coronavirus, please report this to the TUJ Information Center (tujinfo@tuj.temple.edu; 03-5441-9800), so we can arrange for any necessary assistance.
For all students, the health information that we shared previously continues to apply, namely:
§ Practice good hygiene and cough etiquette. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand rubs or wipes with 60%–95% alcohol. It is especially important to clean hands after going to the bathroom, before eating, after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose, and after having been in public places, on public transportation, and coming into contact with objects and surfaces that may be contaminated (door handles, train straps, elevator buttons, etc.). If you don’t wear a mask, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper sleeve (not your hands). Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Consider gargling with a disinfectant mouthwash.
§ Clean the surfaces that you frequently touch, such as door handles, keyboards, smartphones, etc. Sleep well and eat well.
§ Practice social distancing, by avoiding unnecessary crowds and gatherings.
§ Review the information on the coronavirus posted by the the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Japanese (English:the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare ). The Ministry’s Japanese Q&A Japanese . The Q&A can be reviewed in English via Google Translate .
§ The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends as a general guideline that those who experience symptoms stay at home until they are free of fever, signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants).
Please check the Temple University and TUJ websites for updates regarding the coronavirus. If any emergency measures need to be taken, they will be announced on the website.
Sincerely,
Bruce Stronach
Dean