March 5, 2020

Dear Reed community,

We write to you with an update on the work that Reed’s COVID-19 Task Force has been doing to prepare and respond to the novel coronavirus. First, we want you all to know that we are appreciative of the shared efforts to support the health and wellbeing of the campus community. We also understand that the evolving news about the outbreak may create feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. We are interested in your questions, and we are engaged in seeking expert guidance and adapting our plans as the situation evolves.

To help communicate the work in progress and to begin to respond to your questions, we have created a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding Reed’s COVID-19 planning and response. The FAQs are current as of March 5, 2020.

Ongoing updates related to COVID-19 will be shared with the Reed community as necessary via Campus News and will also be posted on the Reed webpage dedicated to information on the novel coronavirus.

If you have questions not addressed in the FAQs or have specific needs or suggestions, please reach out to us via email at coronavirusquestions@reed.edu.

Please do not forget—these are the most important actions that you can take:

Stay informed: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Practice daily preventative care: Prevention (CDC)
Remain calm: While the spread of COVID-19 is still difficult to predict, the CDC is reporting that for the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to the virus at this time, the immediate health risk is considered low.

Sincerely,

President Audrey Bilger and the COVID-19 Task Force