Daily Updates

The District, AFT, and District Academic Senate have agreed to provide faculty with the flexibility to determine for what purpose they need to use the former Flex Day that was scheduled for March 27. Therefore, March 27 is now flexible time for faculty to use as they see fit. There will be no formal professional development activities that day.

Given that we canceled three days of instruction for professional development to prepare to transition fully online, some faculty may wish to hold their class via Zoom if it was scheduled in order to make up for lost time. Other faculty might use the day for their own professional development to get more familiar with some of the tools they are using with the assistance of their colleagues. Will others might need the time to take care of themselves and their families. In short, with AFT and Senate’s support, faculty have discretion and flexibility to use March 27 for whatever you need to do to continue to maintain instructional continuity for students.

Dear Student:

Do You Need Technology for Your Online Classes?
We are trying to find out what students need to keep up with your coursework from home. If you need technology like a Chromebook or calculator, please tell us by filling out this form. We will help as many students as we can. Go to the survey.

Thank you!

Eligible Students Can Get Health Insurance at Covered California
Covered California has opened a special enrollment to any eligible uninsured residents who need health coverage. Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements, which are similar to those in place during the annual open enrollment period, can sign up for coverage through June 30.

Residents can also find out if they are eligible for no-cost or low-cost health coverage via Medi-Cal if they sign up through CoveredCA.com.

If you have questions about Covered California, Medi-Cal and the application process, please reach out to your campus’ SparkPoint Center:

• College of San Mateo – csmsparkpoint@smccd.edu
• Skyline – skylinesparkpoint@smccd.edu
• Canada –  cansparkpoint@smccd.edu

If you are an international student and have questions related to your health coverage, please call Aetna at 877-246-6997.

Reminder: New COVID-19 Information Hub
Please use the new https://wordpress-262636-1210807.cloudwaysapps.com/ website to access resources you need for online learning. Check this site daily for all the latest information.

Stay healthy and safe.

It’s important to stay fit during the shelter-in-place order. San Mateo Athletic Club has offered some tips for staying limber during those long days of working at home. Download their flyer.

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Students: Here is your daily update.

Introducing the New COVID-19 Hub

We’ve launched a convenient new SMCCCD COVID-19 Hub – a single, user-friendly landing page for students, faculty, and staff to get the information they need for online education, distance learning, working from home, and staying informed. We’ve also added a blog that will carry all the latest announcements, tips, and resources. Visit covid-19.smccd.edu

Farmer’s Market Returns to CSM!

We’re excited to announce the San Mateo Farmer’s Market will reopen in a new location at CSM. Farmer’s markets, like grocery stores, are “essential services” that are still allowed to operate under the County shelter-in-place order. The market will be open Saturdays, 9am – 1pm, at the lower Hillsdale Lot (Lot1). See campus map.

Follow all the latest info here at covid-19.smccd.edu

Some surplus District laptops are being distributed on a limited basis to employees and students who need them for working from home. We cannot compromise the health and safety of the employees working at these distribution sites. Therefore, please observe the following:

• People that have any health symptoms (cough, sneezing, etc.) will not be served. Please stay home.
• Do not bring your friends or family. They will not be permitted at the ITS distribution centers.
• Maintain 6 feet of social distancing.

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Thank you for your outstanding work during this time. We begin with some good news to share. There are no reported cases in our District of COVID-19.

However, if there is a confirmed case in our District, the San Mateo County Public Health Department will perform a contact investigation to identify which individuals were exposed. If necessary, the San Mateo County Public Health Department will contact Emily Barrick, CSM’s Director of Wellness. It is very important that we all understand that Emily is the single point of contact for all infectious disease exposures at the District. After being notified by the County about an exposure, Emily will then contact all of the individuals who were involved and let them know about next steps, including health guidance.

URGENT:
It is NOT appropriate for anyone else from our District to notify students, faculty, or staff that they may have been involved in a COVID-19 exposure.

For potential exposures on campus that are not confirmed by the County, it is best practice to continue to encourage students to shelter at home and call their healthcare provider if they are not feeling well. If they live in San Mateo County and do not have insurance, they can seek medical care at San Mateo Medical Center.

As much as possible, we want to eliminate unnecessary alarm if there are no tested and confirmed cases of COVID-19. It is also necessary to protect the privacy of the potentially infected individual. If a student reaches out to you about their health concerns and you think there may have been a COVID-19 exposure on campus, please contact Emily Barrick at barricke@smccd.edu.

Note to keep in mind

Keep in mind that the maximum incubation period for COVID-19 is considered to be 14 days and the median is 5 days. The incubation period is the amount of time between exposure to an infection and the appearance of the first symptoms. For instance, if an individual was on campus and appeared sick with COVID-19 14 days or more ago, then the individuals who came in contact with them would have more than likely already displayed symptoms if they had the virus. Symptoms of COVID-19 include, but are not limited to: runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, cough, fever, and difficulty breathing (for severe cases).

Approximately 80% of coronavirus cases are mild and treated with rest; home isolation (staying at home except to get medical care and using a specific “sick room” away from other people in your home, and, if possible, using your own separate bathroom); by taking acetaminophen/Tylenol (if you are not allergic) for fever and discomfort; and by implementing good hygiene practices (cleaning your hands often, covering your coughs and sneezes with a flexed elbow, avoiding shared personal household items, and by cleaning all “high-touch” surfaces daily). 

Seek medical advice right away if you are sick and your symptoms are worsening (for example, you are having a difficult time breathing), if you have coronavirus symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have coronavirus or live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of coronavirus. It is important to call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room so they can prepare for your arrival.  Visit this website from the CDC for additional information.

Again, thank you all for your patience, understanding, and hard work during this transition period.

San Mateo County Community College District Emergency Operations Center
emergency.smccd.info