Dear Proa Tribe,
I write to you with sobering but important news, which is summarized in the following bullets and detailed below:
- A College employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
- College facilities will be closed on Nov. 24, 2021 for deep cleaning and
- College employees will transition to teleworking on Nov. 24, 2021.
- All face-to-face and hybrid classes and student support services will be migrated online from Nov. 24, 2021 through Nov. 27, 2021.
- As this is an evolving situation, please stay informed through official sources.
- Practice good hygiene.
A College employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
We have received notification that a Northern Marianas College employee has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Contact tracing activities are being conducted to determine the extent of the outbreak. Other safety protocols are being carried out by our Facilities team and other departments at the College.
While all of these preventive measures are occurring, we encourage you to remain calm but vigilant in staying informed and carrying out preventive measures.
Furthermore, as you may have heard, the CNMI COVID-19 Task Force reported a spike of 98 cases of community transmission. If you are concerned that you may have come in contact with someone who tested positive, you can contact the COVID-19 Task Force Contact Tracing Team Tip Lines at (670) 287-2274 or (670) 286-1729.
College facilities will be closed on Nov. 24, 2021 for deep cleaning and College employees will transition to teleworking on Nov. 24, 2021.
College facilities will be closed on Nov. 24, 2021 for deep cleaning. As such, employees are asked to telework from 8am to 12pm tomorrow. Additional announcements will be made through official NMC platforms (NMC email, website, etc) regarding next week. Note that NMC was already scheduled to be closed on Wednesday afternoon (12p to 5p), Thursday (Thanksgiving Holiday), and Friday (Admin Leave for NMC Employees).
All face-to-face and hybrid classes and student support services will be migrated online from Nov. 24, 2021 through Nov. 27, 2021.
All face-to-face and hybrid classes scheduled from Nov 23 through Nov 27, along with student services, will be migrated online. Other classes that are already conducted online or virtually will continue as scheduled. Student support services will also be available through online, virtual, and telephone support. Detailed information with contact information will be provided by Dean of Student Support Services Charlotte Cepeda.
These decisions are made to maintain a safe and healthy workplace and learning space, including minimizing the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, sustaining academic programs and operational continuity, and protecting the wellbeing of all employees and students.
More information by the Human Resources Office and by employees’ respective supervisors. Information about the submission of timesheets will also be shared.
As this is an evolving situation, please stay informed through official sources.
The spread of COVID-19 may continue to escalate in our community. The situation is dynamic and quickly evolving. The information we share today may need to be updated in days or perhaps hours. Some of the timelines we identify may need to be moved up depending on circumstances that emphasize student and employee safety and well-being. Ensure that you continue to monitor OFFICIAL sources with the latest information, including the NMC email and website, NMC social media platforms, the CHCC, and the Centers for Disease Control.
Our primary concern remains the health and safety of our students and employees. While we face this new outbreak in our community, I continue to have confidence in our team as we work together to identify and implement innovative and creative solutions and responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact your advisors or instructors if you are a student and the Human Resources Office if you are an employee.
More details and updates will be sent to students and employees through their official NMC email accounts. Students and employees are asked to monitor and check their email regularly. Also, for the latest updates, please visit NMC’s website at www.marianas.edu, or follow NMC on Facebook (@nmc.proa), Instagram (@nmc.proa), and Twitter (@GoProa).
Practice Good Hygiene
- As always, note the following reminders/guidance to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community:
- Vaccinate if you have not already. Visit vaccinateCNMI.com for more information.
- 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.
- Wear a face cover in public spaces and common areas.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Rather than into your hand, cover your cough or sneeze with a bent elbow or handkerchief or into a tissue. Throw used tissue away immediately.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
As sobering as all of this is, let us remember that we have much to be grateful for as we head into Thanksgiving weekend. Despite the rise in cases, our community has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, hospitalizations and mortality rates in the CNMI remain remarkably low, and we now have more resources to combat this disease—more scientific insight, more treatments, and more awareness. Most importantly, we have each other.
We will get through this. I have faith in our Commonwealth and I have faith in our Proa Tribe. So, stay strong, stay calm, and stay safe.
Sailing ahead,
Galvin Deleon Guerrero, EdD
President