Coronavirus and Spring Break Travel Guidance for the NOC Community
All NOC Employees and Students:
The COVID-19 Coronavirus is spreading quickly worldwide and has a growing potential to disrupt travel during Northern Oklahoma College’s spring break, March 14-22, 2020.
Study Abroad Impact
NOC continues to ban all college-sponsored travel to any Level 3 restricted areas. Because of China’s earlier designation as a level 3 country, NOC redirected a study abroad trip on spring break from China to Ecuador, allowing students the options of cancellation or the new destination. Both the Ecuador trip and a second spring break study abroad tour to Berlin are being monitored closely based on current safety levels with the CDC.
College-Mandated Travel Screening
College affiliated travelers coming from CDC “Level 3” travel warning countries must complete a health screening over the phone (see numbers below) prior to coming back to campus. Based on the risk assessment and in coordination with local and state health officials, travelers may be asked to self-monitor their health or be prepared to self-isolate for up to 14 days at home or another off-campus location.
NOC Stillwater Campus – Oklahoma State University Health Services 405.744.7665
NOC Enid and NOC Tonkawa Campuses – OK Dept of Health, Community Help Line 877.215.8336
Spring Break Travel
NOC encourages our students and employees to make good choices during their spring break travel to protect their personal safety. You should stay informed about potential risks related to COVID-19 in light of international and domestic spread of the disease. We ask that you take extra precautions to protect your health including frequent handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, avoiding sharing utensils or drinks, avoiding contact with sick people, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth and maintain good sleep and dietary habits. We also advise you to plan accordingly and be prepared by taking your coursework, books, laptops, etc., home with you over spring break in the event a quarantined situation should arise.
Because this situation is likely to continue to rapidly change in the weeks ahead, before your spring travel, we encourage you to check the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites to find updated guidance for your destination as well as for those countries you may travel through to your destination.
What You Can Do
COVID-19 is believed to spread by close contact with someone who has the illness who coughs or sneezes. Precautions limiting your exposure to the virus are the same as those against the spread of the flu. Please refer to the CDC’s Travelers Health Notices and Guidance for Student Foreign Travel for Institutions of Higher Education for guidance if you are traveling. NOC will continue to provide updates on the Coronavirus on our Website (http://www.noc.edu/student-healthcare1).