UAA Alert - COVID-19 Update

by UAA Incident Management Team  |   

Dear UAA Community:

We are writing to inform you of a development relating to COVID-19. Today we were notified of two COVID-19 incidents within Anchorage campus facilities:

  • A contractor who was working at the Alaska Airlines Center on April 8 for approximately six hours has tested positive for COVID-19.
  • A university employee who came into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 accessed Gordon Hartlieb Hall on April 12.

We ask that you respect the privacy of these individuals. Since these are the first confirmed cases related to COVID-19 on the UAA campus, we want the university community to be aware of the process that follows the report of a confirmed COVID-19 case.

As part of their standard procedure, public health officials are conducting an investigation and will follow up with anyone who has had exposure to these individuals and may be at risk. To respect the privacy of all members of our campus community, we will not send universitywide communications every time there is a case of COVID-19 on campus. Public health officials will reach out to you if an investigation finds that you may be at risk.

We are continuing to take steps to protect the health and safety of our campus community, including rigorous cleaning of all public areas, common touchpoints and building surfaces with CDC-approved products (germicidal detergents). Attention will be given to facilities accessed by these individuals.

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, UAA has taken the following steps aimed at “flattening the curve.” These actions comply with recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and with municipal orders and state mandates to stay home but follow social distancing practices when it is necessary to venture out into public:

  • Transitioned face-to-face courses to alternate delivery for the spring and summer semesters
  • Sanctioned employees to work from home with exceptions only for those deemed necessary to facilitate essential university business
  • Canceled all campus events through June 30, 2020
  • Closed buildings or placed them under restricted access
  • Designated specific computer labs to facilitate distance learning; implemented station cleaning protocols after each use and social distancing practices

University of Alaska community restrictions
University community restrictions apply to all faculty, staff, students, campus visitors and contractors and can be accessed at the University of Alaska’s Coronavirus Information website – alaska.edu/coronavirus19

Resources
The UAA Student Health and Counseling Center remains open at this time to serve UAA students. Call ahead at 907-786-4050 to schedule an appointment if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath.

Employees should contact their health care provider if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to determine if they should be tested. The UA health plan covers COVID-19 testing. Employee FAQs are available on the UA Coronavirus Information website.

For information about COVID-19 symptoms and current health recommendations:

We are continuing to monitor this situation and consult with state and local health authorities to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Creative Commons License "UAA Alert - COVID-19 Update" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
April Archive