To the Rice community:

This afternoon Rice’s Crisis Management Team alerted the campus that the staff member who had been under quarantine with a possible case of the novel coronavirus has tested positive for the disease. This is distressing news for our colleague, the colleague’s family and for the entire campus.

Rest assured that we are doing everything possible to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of our community. The affected staff member is under hospital care and thankfully reported to be in stable condition. The faculty, doctoral students and staff at Rice who had brief contact with the employee remain under self quarantine, and it’s reassuring to know that they are reporting no symptoms of the virus. We are doing everything we can to support them while they remain in quarantine, which should end next week if no symptoms develop.

Our campus custodians have thoroughly sanitized the area that the affected staff member came in contact with and have extended those extra measures to major touchpoints throughout the campus. We are working closely with Harris County Public Health and taking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of those efforts. So far authorities report that there is no evidence of community spread of the virus at this time. We will continue to take appropriate precautions.

I want to take a moment to thank the dedicated staff who have helped take the measures necessary to keep our campus safe and helped our affected colleagues with their needs. The coronavirus now affects about 90 countries around the world, making this a time for us to show care and compassion to all members of our community, especially those with family and friends in the regions most affected by this dangerous virus. I ask that all of us act in ways that reaffirm the welcome we extend to all in our community and on our campus.

My thanks to the Crisis Management Team for their constant dedication during this evolving situation. The Crisis Management Team will update you tomorrow on the status of our travel restrictions and other measures we think are necessary to take. I have cancelled or postponed my own international travel for the next couple months.

Please refer to emergency.rice.edu for updates and other information. I urge you to read carefully the campus communications on this topic. We can’t say this often enough: Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap, cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze and stay home if you are sick.

We understand that many will have concerns and many questions going forward. We will continually assess the situation and update you with the latest information and developments. Our community has regularly faced a variety of crises with compassion and calm, and I know we will do so now as well.

With best wishes,

President David Leebron