Updated Limestone College Statement Regarding COVID-19

March 12, 2020: 

Limestone College is actively working to ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff, and guests. The College continues to monitor COVID-19 information from leading health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Our Day Campus students are on Spring Break during the week of March 9-13. 

Presently, Limestone plans for its in-person Day Campus classes to resume as scheduled on Monday, March 16.

Some colleges and universities in the United States have canceled in-person class attendance. Those cancellations have occurred primarily in areas of the country where the virus is spreading rapidly. That is currently not the case in South Carolina. 

However, should the situation change, Limestone does have an academic continuity plan that would be implemented. Should that occur, our campus community will be notified. We ask that our students, faculty, and staff check their email regularly for updates.

Limestone has plans in place that include housing and meal accommodations in the event someone should be isolated because of illness.

The College’s housekeeping staff continues to use best practices while cleaning surfaces in common use areas in all buildings.

Sodexo – Limestone’s housekeeping, maintenance, and food service partner – has established regional and country response teams supported by a global COVID-19 coordination team working across the 67 countries in which it operates. In coordination with Limestone officials, Sodexo is implementing measures on our campus appropriate to the local situation to ensure everyone’s safety and business continuity. Sodexo’s onsite operations, including the Limestone campus, have been instructed to regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces with a suitable chemical disinfectant.   

In addition, Sodexo response teams consisting of subject matter experts from health care, human resources, supply management, health and food safety, and culinary and facilities operations, are meeting on a regular basis to monitor the situation and react quickly as needed.

It is imperative that Limestone’s campus community take this health issue seriously and practice behaviors proven to limit the spread of illness. Students, faculty, and staff are all strongly encouraged, when sick, to stay home and minimize direct physical contact with others. Limestone’s faculty is been advised to be more flexible with absences due to illness, and supervisors are encouraged to do the same. Please refrain from attending any social events if you are sick.

Prior to the start of Spring Break, our campus community was encouraged to visit the CDC and U.S. State Department websites to make informed decisions regarding travel. The College continues to discourage travel to affected areas. Several countries are under travel advisories, and more could be added as the situation evolves. 

We are committed to keeping the Limestone College community informed through regular updates and audience-specific messaging as necessary.

We have established a webpage where the latest Limestone-related coronavirus information can be found: www.limestone.edu/corona.

As this situation evolves, there may be additional screening and quarantine requirements mandated by government entities. If that becomes necessary, we will communicate such requirements to our students.

Limestone is asking its campus community to follow these instructions:

• Stay home when you are sick.

• To protect others, students and other members of our campus community should limit contact with elderly family members and friends, or those who might be at-risk due to other health issues.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Minimize direct contact by keeping the recommended “social distance” of minimally three to six feet from others.

• Eat well and get plenty of rest.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

For those experiencing flu-like symptoms, call ahead to your primary care physician or the Limestone Health Center. Call the Limestone Health Center for an appointment.

Those who are feeling ill should refrain from using the College’s dining facilities. For those who are sick, they can contact the Health Center and it will work with Sodexo to coordinate meal delivery.

Students are responsible for notifying professors and instructors if they must miss class because of illness and for developing a plan to make up assignments.