March 12, 2020
3/11/2020
To all staff and students of Kobe University,
We are asking staff and students to do the following to prevent the spread of Novel Coronavirus, which has been listed as a “designated infectious disease.”
There have been reports of many infected people in Japan and the virus has varied symptoms including fever. In order to prevent widespread infection, those who feel unwell should refrain from coming to the university for studying or work.
In addition, it is important to protect individual privacy and not discriminate against infected persons, those who have been in contact with infected persons, returnees, and people who are from the affected countries. Please monitor your condition and compile useful information, both for your own sake and that of those around you.
Also, please be aware that the following information (released on March 11, 2020) is subject to change.
TAKEDA Hiroshi (Kobe University President)
SUGIMURA Kazuro (Executive Vice President in Charge of Risk Management)
I. Regarding infection prevention measures
1. Please avoid coming to the university if you feel unwell (eg. if you have a cough, fever, joint/muscle pain, diarrhea or experience overall fatigue/drowsiness). In this situation, you must contact the applicable Student Affairs Section (students) or applicable General Affairs Section (staff) in accordance with university policy.
If you feel unwell, please be sure to take your temperature everyday (2 or more times in the morning and evening), and keep a record of both your temperature and symptoms. Please go to a hospital/medical institution depending on the severity of your symptoms.
- Please avoid coming to university until all your symptoms have disappeared
- If you have a fever/fatigue, you must wait until 2 days after your symptoms have gone and you are no longer taking cold or fever medicine (For those diagnosed with influenza, please wait until at least 5 days after becoming ill and 2 days after your fever has passed).
Once the above periods of time have elapsed, you may be able to attend university.
2. For those with symptoms seeking advice or an estimated diagnosis, please contact the ‘Advice Center for Returnees and those in contact with Infected Persons’ and follow their directions.
More information about this service can be found on the following Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare page (currently in Japanese only): https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10900000/000596905.pdf
Please seek medical advice from the Center if you have the following:
- Cold-like symptoms and/or a fever of over 37.5?C that has continued for over 4 days (including cases where you have to keep taking fever medicine).
- Strong fatigue or difficulty breathing.
- If you are at risk of becoming severely ill, please contact the Center after 2 days of the above symptoms. At-risk groups include: the elderly, people with underlying health conditions (including diabetes, heart problems, respiratory disorders (such as COPD), dialysis patients, those undergoing cancer treatment or taking immunosuppressant medication, and pregnant women).
Please note that the Center provides standard advice. If your symptoms worsen, please do not hesitate to go to hospital after contacting the Center.
Please bear in mind that at present there are many people with other illnesses aside from novel coronavirus. If you are concerned that you might have influenza, please consult a doctor.
3. Students and staff diagnosed with novel coronavirus are prohibited from coming to the university. Make sure that you contact the applicable Student Affairs Section (students) or the General Affairs Section (staff). When you recover from the virus, obtain a medical certificate from your doctor stating that you have recovered and cannot pass on the infection to others. Please hand this in at the Medical Center for Student Health. Once they have confirmed your status, you may be allowed to attend school/work.
4. If you are at high risk of contracting the virus due to close contact with an infected person, please inform the applicable Student Affairs Section and your supervisor (students), or the General Affairs Section (staff). Please follow the Welfare Office’s directions in order to prevent the spread of infection. Refrain from coming to university and isolate yourself at home for 14 days after your last contact with the infected person.
5. If you feel unwell while at the university, please be sure to wash your hands well, wear a mask and practice correct coughing etiquette. After returning home, please follow Step 1 and avoid coming to the university.
For those returning from abroad:
1. If you feel unwell after returning to Japan from abroad, you must contact quarantine.
2. Staff and students returning from areas/countries where the infection is prevalent (including those transiting through these areas), should self-isolate at home for a period of 14 days, and avoid going outside as much as possible. Please inform the applicable Student Affairs Section (students) or the General Affairs Section (staff) that you will be isolating yourself at home for 14 days.
For those who have to self-isolate at home and refrain from coming to university: Take your temperature more than twice a day (morning and evening), wash your hands, practice correct coughing etiquette (wearing masks). If you develop symptoms such as a cough or fever, please do as previously described.
3. If you are returning from an unaffected/less severely affected country or area, please monitor your health. As above, please take your temperature more than twice a day (morning and evening), wash your hands, practice correct coughing etiquette (wearing masks). If you develop symptoms such as a cough or fever, please do as previously described.
II. Regarding travel abroad
Travel to (or transit through) affected areas that have been given an Infectious Disease Level 2 or above by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is completely prohibited for staff and students.
Travel to Level 1 countries is generally prohibited for students and is inadvisable for staff.
Students taking part in study abroad programs managed by Kobe University will not be dispatched to countries with an Alert Level above 1 (based on the criteria outlined in the Kobe University International Crisis Management Manual). For those currently studying abroad- if the country or area where you are studying is at Alert Level 1, start making preparations to return Japan. If a Level 2 Alert has been issued, you must return to Japan temporarily.
See the table below for details regarding currently affected countries and travel restrictions:
Country | Applicable Region | Infectious Disease Level | Students | Staff |
---|---|---|---|---|
China | Wuhan Province/Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province | Level 3 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited |
Other areas of China, excluding the above | Level 2 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited | |
South Korea | Daegu, Cheongdo County, Gyeongsan, Yeongcheon, Chilgok County, Uiseong County, Seongju County, Gunwi County and Andong | Level 3 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited |
All other areas of North Gyeongsang, not including those mentioned above | Level 2 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited | |
All other areas of South Korea | Level 2 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited | |
Iran | Alert Level 4 areas | Level 4 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited |
Qom Province, Tehran Province, Gilan Province and other Alert Level 3 areas | Level 3 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited | |
Alert Level 2 areas | Level 2 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited | |
Italy (including San Marino and Vatican City | Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Marche and Lombardy regions, and San Marino | Level 3 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited |
Vatican City and all other areas of Italy | Level 2 | Travel Prohibited | Travel Prohibited | |
France | Entire Country | Level 1 | Generally prohibited | Discouraged |
Germany | Entire Country | Level 1 | Generally prohibited | Discouraged |
Spain | Entire Country | Level 1 | Generally prohibited | Discouraged |
Switzerland | Entire Country | Level 1 | Generally prohibited | Discouraged |
*All staff planning to travel outside Japan must submit a notification of their intent to travel overseas to their department. All students planning to go abroad must submit their travel plans through GEMs, including trips to their home country.
The above information is likely to change, so please keep yourselves informed of the latest developments via the following sites:
Information in English:
- The World Health Organization’s updates: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- Symptom information and prevention advice: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
- Ministry of Health and Welfare: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/index.html
Information in Japanese:
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ homepage on safety abroad: https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/
- FORTH(Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: quarantine): https://www.forth.go.jp/index.html
- Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/index.html
- About the outbreak of novel coronavirus related pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000164708_00001.html
- Kobe City Infectious Disease Surveillance System: https://kobecity-kmss.jp/
- Kobe University Medical Center for Student Health: http://www.health.kobe-u.ac.jp/
- Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital’s Handbook of measures to prevent novel coronavirus infection for citizens: http://www.hosp.tohoku-mpu.ac.jp/info/information/2326/