Dear Members of the Georgetown Community,
I write today to share the news that one of our students has tested positive for COVID-19. Our thoughts are with this student, who is receiving medical care at their permanent address.
The student, who was living in a single without roommates, has not been on campus since March 12 and received positive test results today after becoming ill on March 15. The student’s parent, however, visited campus yesterday before learning of the student’s test results. The parent had very limited interaction with members of our community other than moving belongings out of the residence hall. While the risk to our community is low, our facilities team is cleaning and disinfecting affected areas.
We remind all members of our community that if you are feeling sick, or if you have been in close contact with someone displaying symptoms of COVID-19, you should self-quarantine (stay at home for at least 14 days) after your exposure. If home, you should not come to campus during this time.
We know many students are preparing to move out their belongings in the days ahead. During this period, we are taking steps to protect our students and staff during move-out, including social distancing measures and boxed meals rather than dine-in options. If you can’t return to campus or feel unsafe traveling, we have a plan to ensure the safety and security of your belongings. We are exploring all options, including on-campus storage and a partnership with a professional moving and storing company to secure the belongings of any students who do not have the benefit of an immediate return to campus. We are making plans to meet the needs of graduating seniors.
Rest assured, whichever option you choose, we will not dispose of your belongings and your belongings will be secure. We request all students who cannot return to campus and need storage assistance to complete the Storage Request Form at your earliest convenience, if you have not already, ideally no later than 12 p.m. EST Sunday, March 22. If you have questions about student storage, contact 2020-Student-Storage@georgetown.edu. We appreciate your patience while we work to respond to all inquiries.
To promote social distancing, support public health and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, we are also limiting access to public gathering spaces on campus. This includes closing the Leavey Center and the Healey Family Student Center, effective 9 p.m. tonight. The Lauinger Library building will be closed this weekend, but will continue to offer a full set of online services, plus access to online collections. Beginning Monday March 23, the library will reduce physical access to the building. We will communicate more details in the coming days.
For your safety and the safety of our staff members on our campus, we ask that you practice social distancing measures when on campus. This includes keeping a distance of at least six feet between you and another person at all times. Georgetown’s Health Information site is available as a resource if you are feeling sick, have been in contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, or need best practices for self-quarantine and social distancing.
Moving forward, subsequent confirmed cases will be posted on Georgetown’s COVID-19 Resource Center. If you would like to receive a daily update listing all new COVID-19 communications sent by Georgetown, subscribe to our daily digest. Should you have additional questions, please contact our university call center at (202) 784-3510, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The health and well-being of our community is our paramount concern. We thank you for your patience and ongoing support as we respond to this rapidly changing public health emergency.
Sincerely,
Vince WinklerPrins, MD, FAAFP
Chief Public Health Officer