Message from Chandler J. Holland, April 7, 2020
Good afternoon,
On Friday, April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its position on the general public use of masks and face coverings in response to COVID-19. The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
This has led to questions from folks across campus. Attached to this message you will find FAQs on face coverings, directly from different pages on the CDC website.
What does the new CDC direction mean for Minnesota State University, Mankato employees?
In lieu of cloth facemasks, Minnesota State Mankato has a limited number of non-N95 dust-masks for voluntary use by essential employees who remain working on campus.
Supervisors should contact Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management with a request for the number of masks needed for their employees. Please note, due to the limited quantity available, only one dust mask will be issued per employee.
Employees should write their name on their mask to ensure they do not accidentally use someone else’s mask and follow these additional guidelines for safe usage:
- Do not leave masks unattended in someone else’s space.
- Do not hang masks from hooks or doorknobs by their elastic straps; this will prematurely degrade and stretch the elastic bands.
- Do not leave masks in direct sunlight. Sunlight will prematurely degrade the elastic bands.
- Refrain from taking the mask home for use out and about. Due to the limited supply available, these masks are for work-use only.
Please remember, the use of face coverings is a voluntary public health effort that is intended to protect others from people who do not know they are ill. A face covering of this nature IS NOT considered personal protective equipment (PPE) and does not protect the wearer from exposure.
The most important ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 continue to be:
- If you feel ill, stay home and call your medical provider for guidance.
- If, while at work, you start to feel sick, go home and call your medical provider for guidance.
- While at work, out and about and at home, don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth, and frequently wash your hands.
- While at work and when out and about, maintain a social distance of at least six feet. Other than your spouse, significant other or children, there is no need to come within six feet of each other.
Since there are known delays between exposure and the onset of symptoms, as well as lag time on testing and testing results, it is imperative everyone follows the above guidelines.
Finally, if someone on campus is confirmed to have COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will take the lead and contact the people they deem necessary with guidance. Not everyone on campus will be called, and the MDH will not share specifics of the impacted employee. The MDH must balance the public health needs with protecting the privacy rights of individuals.
Thank you for everything you are doing to stop the spread of COVID-19 and for keeping our students, faculty and staff safe during this time. Please contact me with any questions.
WORK SMART…..WORK SAFE!
Regards,
Chandler J. Holland
Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management
