The Correspondence to the Outbreak of the COVID-19

•  Cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve or anything else other than your palms when cough or sneeze
•  Wash your hands properly and frequently (rub alcohol hand-sanitizer* on to your hands and between fingers) *in the case of its being difficult to be obtained, use hand soap and wash hands under running water instead

　　Please note that all precautions should be taken as if to prevent other infectious diseases such as common cold and influenza.

　Also, since there is significant transmission by people not showing symptoms, these asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic corona-virus carriers are most likely contributing to the rapid spread of the corona virus. Therefore, changing your way of thinking must be done, and you should think that you are one of these asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic corona-virus carriers and consider what you should do or should not do in order to prevent from transmitting the virus you carry to the others around you. This should be considered as “the new normal.”

1. Correspondence of Faculty Members and Students
　[Going Abroad]
　a. As advised on Overseas Safety Information published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, do not travel to any of the LEVEL 3 areas/regions/countries below listed (including both personal and business trips.)

　b. Avoid taking non-emergency and/or unnecessary trips to any of the LEVEL 2 areas/regions/countries.

　c. If you must plan an unavoidable trip abroad with a specific reason, ensure to notify to staff of General Affairs Section at your department if you are a faculty personnel or to staff of Educational Affairs at your faculty/school if you are a student in order to take a necessary procedure prior to your departure. When travelling, please ensure to check and pay attention to the most up-to-date information by accessing Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s website* and Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Quarantine Station’s website**.

　d. With regards to studying abroad scheduled within this academic year, although it should be reconsidered to be cancelled or to be postpone, for any outbound travel plans/schedules (both for studying or on personal,) a close attention should be paid as MEXT shows the policy for selfrefrainment.

　e. Please visit Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s website for more information.
　* http://www2.anzen.mofa.go.jp (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)
　** https://www.forth.go.jp/topics/fragment6.html
　　　(Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Quarantine Station)
　　  https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/newpage_00032.html
　　　(Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)

　[Returning from Your Trip from Other Countries]
　a. Prior to entering Japan, any returnees and visitors from other countries are requested to check the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website for the most up-to-date information on Japaneseborder measures and follow any instruction given by the Quarantine Station (which includes providing a certificate of negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure time from originated county, the 14-day self-quarantine period at a specific place designated by the Quarantine Station Director and health observation during the period, refrainment of the use of public transportation, etc.)
      https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/newpage_00032.html (English)
      https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/covid19_qa_kanrenkigyou_00001.html
      (Japanese)

　b. Ensure to utilize the self-observation sheet in order to maintain and observe your health condition during the 14-day quarantine period (which counts from the next day of your arrival date in Japan) and send the sheet to KU Health Centre via FAX or e-mail when the period is over.

　[Domestic Travels/Outings]
　a. Considering the State of Emergency declared by Kumamoto prefecture, refrain from taking any unnecessary or non-emergency outings/domestic trips through out a day, strictly after 8 PM.

   b.  In addition, please refrain from going to any areas where its level of infection is relatively higher as much as possible.

　[Health Self-Maintenance]
　a. Take your body temperature and self-check your condition every morning.

　b. When having cold-like symptoms, take a leave of absence (utilize the self-observation sheet and make a list of all the places you have visited and all the people you have made contact with incase you are to be requested to report to the Public Health Centre)

　c. In case of having any symptoms including a fever, avoid visiting a general hospital, instead, phone a local clinic or your family doctor first (they will give you a referral to another local medical institution if they cannot take you as their patient.)
      If you are not sure where to call, please contact "dial for exclusive use of patients with fever" at 0570-096-567 to find out which medical institution can take you.

　d. Also, please contact your department, professor, and KU Health Care Centre at 096-342-2164 not only prior to but also after your PCR test.

　[Attending Events]
　a. Any events organized, run, and enforced by Kumamoto University should be carefully planned and managed in accordance with “Notes on Holding Any Events Until the End of February Next Year (Updated on December 11, 2020)” announced by Kumamoto Prefecture (hereafter, Kumamoto Prefectural Notification) in order to control and prevent the spread of the virus and put attendees’ health and safety concerns as the first priority.
      https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/soshiki/30/69449.html (available in Japanese only)

　b. Since any events which are held at any venues where it is poorly ventilated, densely crowded, also a high risk of having unpredictable contacts with an unspecified majority is present, have tendencies of higher risks of creating potential clusters, you should make your judgement on attendance corresponding to the Kumamoto Prefectural Notification mentioned above.

　
　c. As for other events, re-consideration of its necessity, detailed planning, and precautions for virus prevention should be taken in measure.

　d. In particular, refrain from holding any workshops, parties, or events which involve face-to-face conversations and a high possibility of close contact among participants. As for other gatherings such as welcome/farewell parties, if enough prevention measure cannot be taken, do not plan to hold.
       When holding an event over lunch/dinner/drinks with careful prevention measures, please refer to the “Four Steps to Lower Risks at Lunch/Dinner Meetings” published by Kumamoto Prefecure.
      *https://corona.go.jp/ja-easy/ (available in easy Japanese)
        https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/122880.pdf (available in only Japanese)

　[Infection Prevention]
　a. Take safety measures in order to keep social-distancing from others such as limiting the duration of meetings, ventilating rooms frequently, dividing and scattering members to use various venues, and having online meetings.

　b. If face-to-face work is necessary, ensure to keep the social distance between each other to prevent the infection.

　[Obtaining the Most Up-To-Date Information]
　The most current information is available and should be obtained from each of the following website;
　Ministry of Education: [COVID-19］Information about MEXT’s measures
　https://www.mext.go.jp/en/mext_00006.html
　Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
　https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/newpage_00032.htm
　Office for Pandemic Influenza and New Infection Diseases Preparedness and Response,
　Cabinet Secretariat: http://www.cas.go.jp/jp/influenza/novel_coronavirus.html
　(contents available in Japanese only)
　Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/
　(contents available in Japanese only)
　Ministry of Justice: Information related to New Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19) from Immigration Services Agency
　http://www.moj.go.jp/EN/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/m_nyuukokukanri01_00003.html
   Kumamoto Prefecture: Information Related to New Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19)
   https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/site/covid-19/ (contents available in Japanese only)

2. Establishing the Crisis Management Headquarters for COVID-19
　For the prevention and the control of the spread of virus infection/transmission, KU has established the Crisis Management Headquarters.
　Any decisions to be made by the Crisis Management Headquarters will be notified via e-mails or posted on University Portal.
　To accommodate to the constantly-changing situation, the Headquarters will monitor the following section “3. Assumable Future Events” contents closely, make appropriate decisions to overcome each equivalent situation, and inform all staff members and students regarding the future countermeasures; therefore, please beware of any new information to be released.

3. Assumable Future Events
　① A confirmed case or a suspected case found among the University staff members and students (including their co-living family members)
　② A suspected case of a secondary transmission/infection originated by a University staff member or a student

4. KU’s Correspondence to the Above Events
　① and ② Closure of classes and/or Closure of University
　* This is subject to change as each situation will be observed, then an appropriate solution will be proposed


General Affairs Division
Ext. 3117 & 3118

Kumamoto University’s Correspondence to the Outbreak of the COVID-19 (Protocol Version 23)

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