The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States.
There is evidence to suggest that persons infected with the 2019-nCoV virus may be infectious prior to developing symptoms. This has been a rapidly developing situation and the CDC and Georgia Department of Health have been releasing new information and guidance on a near daily basis.
The CDC issued a new update that has two important changes:
- The 14-day quarantine and self-monitoring requirement for travelers from China has been revised to include all travelers, including those who are asymptomatic upon arrival.
- Self-monitoring includes measuring temperatures twice a day.
Students, faculty and employees will not be allowed to return to work or school for a period of 14 days after leaving mainland China. Upon completion of the 14-day quarantine period, all students, faculty and employees must be cleared by either employee health or student health before returning to campus / work.
We will continue to monitor the latest recommendations and send additional communication if the need arises. For more information on the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) please see the CDC website or the Augusta University resource page.