COVID / Coronavirus Information
COVID-19 Update – November 1, 2021
As you begin to think about plans for the upcoming holiday season that might include friends and family members living abroad and wishing to gather here during the holidays, please be mindful that …
U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs), who are eligible to travel but are not fully vaccinated, will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test one (1) day before their flight’s departure. U.S citizens and LPRs, who are fully vaccinated, will need to present airlines with proof of vaccination and of a negative COVID-19 test three (3) days before their flight.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a new Order for all air passengers traveling to the United States. Effective November 8, 2021, all non-immigrant, non-citizen air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States.
Exceptions to this Order will be extremely limited:
- children under 18
- people medically unable to receive the vaccine
- emergency travelers who do not have timely access to a vaccine
COVID-19 Update – August 18, 2021
Per CDC guidelines, face masks are highly recommended in all campus buildings, effective immediately. Please maintain social distancing, handwashing, and COVID reporting protocols. We will continue to monitor the situation. Your safety matters to all of us.
- If you are not feeling well, notify your instructors and do not come to class.
- If you’ve been exposed to COVID, notify your instructors and please self-quarantine.
- If you’ve had a positive COVID test, notify your instructors and please report it.
- Please know that we will work with you every way possible to help you keep up with your classwork.
Coronavirus Information
Preventing the Virus
The Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommend the following measures as the best way to prevent infection of a respiratory virus:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses. The CDC also offers specific guidance for travelers.
We will continue to follow our protocols to disinfect high contact surfaces in our common areas. We have increased the number of hand sanitizer dispensers on our campuses. If you do come to campus, please wear a face-mask.
If you are ill, let your instructor know and please stay home to recover. Please practice the above outlined infection control measures. Additionally, if you have traveled to an affected area, or have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days please make your instructor aware immediately. Planned travel to any destination with major travel warnings or restrictions should also be communicated with your instructor.
As we receive new school-based guidance from the DPH, CDC, and our local agencies, we will incorporate that information into our response plans. Additional information on COVID-19 can be found at the Department of Public Health website, https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus, and at the Center for Disease Control website, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Rest assured, the health, safety and well-being of our faculty, staff and students are always our highest priorities. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed as the need arises. In the meantime, please follow the above recommendations for infection control.
What happens if a case is identified?
Information on confirmed cases will be reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health on their website at https://dph.georgia.gov. Please refer to this site for updated information.
The CDC, Georgia State Department of Health, and local health care experts will be integrally involved if a case is confirmed in our area. The College remains in close contact with them to understand their protocols and refine our plans as the recommendations from national and state authorities evolve and change. Southern Crescent Technical College has a robust emergency response plan and contingency plans that can be called into place if needed.
In addition, if needed, related emergency alerts will be made to our students, faculty, and staff through our emergency response systems.
Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Georgia Department of Public Health
- United Way (COVID-19 Rapid Response to give or to get help)
- Free Internet (non-affiliated with STC)
- Comcast:
- www.internetessentials.com (be an eligible “qualified low-income household”)
- College Student Offer https://corporate.comcast.com/stories/comcast-university-students-connected-during-covid-19 (open to college students who live in households that are not already Xfinity customers, through June 1st)
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Hargray: www.hargray.com/freeinternet
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Charter/Spectrum: www.corporate.charter.com/newsroom
- E-textbooks: Free access to e-text versions of textbooks including Pearson: https://get.vitalsource.com/vitalsource-helps
- Free access to Xfinity Wifi Hotspots for everyone, not just Xfinity customers: https://www.xfinity.com/prepare
- Comcast: