College community,

By now, you likely are aware that the CDC (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.

We are seeing cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) being identified in nations other than China, including the United States. None to date have been confirmed in New York. The College administration has received guidance from SUNY and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office encouraging us to share information on the virus.

We have posted an informational announcement in tomorrow morning’s Grapevine editions for employees and students. I want to call your attention to that message and reinforce that we live in a society where we enjoy tremendous global mobility. Here at SUNY Orange, we are members of a diverse and well-travelled community, but at this hour we do not know of the presence or likely presence of coronavirus on our campuses.

I urge you to take all precautions necessary to thwart the spread of all respiratory viruses and to practice everyday preventive actions. In addition to contacting the SUNY Orange Wellness Center, you can find additional information at the following resources:

SUNY: https://www.suny.edu/health-alert/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

NYS Department of Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/#_blank

Regards,

Kris