Preparing Campus for Return Under COVID-19
In response to the covid-19 pandemic, Facilities Management and Construction has taken the following actions:
"Touchless" paper towel dispensers were added to every restroom that did not have them previously in order to reduce touchpoints.
All chemicals used by Housekeeping staffs are EPA registered disinfectants that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization for use against SARS-CoV-2.
Dispensers with disinfecting wipes will be maintained in every classroom on campus.
Hand sanitizer pump bottles will remain at reception desks and throughout campus facilities' entrances and other high traffic locations.
Once Students, Faculty, and Staff fully return:
- Throughout the day, we will continue cleaning and disinfecting common touchpoints, such as door handles, elevator buttons, light switches, handrails, vending machines, etc.
- Restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected overnight.
- When notified by the University's Risk Management Department of an individual(s) testing positive for Covid-19, Housekeeping staff will disinfect the affected spaces.
It should be noted that the primary source of contracting COViD-19 is via airborne transmission, not through touch.
Addressing Airborne transmission
- In facilities that are capable of such modifications, FM&C has increased the amount of fresh-air intake via our HVAC systems
- After much research and discussion with other institutions we have added Needlepoint Bi-Polar Ionization (NBPI) to 37 buildings and are continuing to install these systems around the campus. These systems introduce positive and negative ions throughout a building which cling to particles including pollutants, pollen, smoke, and pathogens such as mold, bacteria, and viruses and help to improve the performance of existing air filtration system. The NBPI technology meets UL 2998 standard certification for Zero Ozone Emissions and it is being used in more than 250,000 offices, schools, airports, and other community spaces worldwide to include Johns Hopkins, Duke Health, Google, and the White House.
Campus Community Responsibilities
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Cleanliness of University facilities and commonly used spaces is a shared responsibility. While custodial crews will clean and disinfect high traffic areas and frequently touched items, the University does not have the personnel resources to cover every space.
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FM&C has resumed cleaning individual offices but ask that everyone leave trash and recycling containers outside their doors at the end of their workday ONLY WHEN NEEDED. Unrelated to Covid-19, EO-77 is mandating the phase out of plastic liners in trash cans. Your assistance is appreciated.
