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Florida Tech confirms 12 COVID-19 cases | Nov. 20 update

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Florida Tech reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 among students and one employee case in the Nov. 20 weekly update.

“I’m pleased to report that we are doing far better this week than previous weeks, with a dramatic decrease in COVID-19 cases.” Florida Tech President T. Dwayne McCay said in the email update.

This week’s number is a substantial decrease; the total number is just over one third of last week’s reported spike of 35 cases.

McCay once again encouraged students who are traveling for Thanksgiving to complete the remainder of the semester remotely.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that the safest plans for Thanksgiving take place at home, with your household.

The CDC has provided guidance for those who do travel, stating that measures such as outdoor gatherings, refraining from sharing food or utensils, and keeping guests to a minimum can make things safer.

Florida Tech suspends face-to-face instruction as COVID-19 cases top 125,000 worldwide

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On Thursday, Mar. 12, Florida Tech suspended face-to-face classes for the remainder of the spring semester due to the Coronavirus outbreak, with worldwide cases of COVID-19 numbering over 125,000. 

Classes will resume online beginning Mar. 23. As of Mar. 13, there were 1,629 cases in the U.S, according to the CDC.

COVID-19 and Florida Tech

Classes have been canceled entirely for the week of Mar. 16, with online instruction beginning Mar. 23.

The university’s FAQ on the Coronavirus states that the decision to shift to online instruction for the remainder of the semester, rather than a shorter period of time, “was made so students could better plan and preserve continuity through the conclusion of the semester.”

The shift includes laboratory courses and senior design projects. The student design showcase has also been canceled.

Institutions ranging from the University of Chicago to Harvard University have closed their dorms, requiring students to leave campus. Florida Tech residence halls and dining services remain open. 

Students who remained on or are returning to campus are to fill out a check-in form to remain in campus housing. Along with standard identifying information such as name and student ID number, the form requires students to list any symptoms of illness they are experiencing, the location and date of any recent travel, and if they are self-quarantined.

As stated in an email sent from the Florida Tech Student Life Office on Mar. 13, all student life events and programs have been canceled for the rest of the semester. Prospective student tours will still occur.

Spring commencement has been closed to guests, as announced in a Mar. 10 email from Florida Tech President, T. Dwayne McCay. A graduates only ceremony will instead take place in the Gleason Performing Arts Center. 

The announcement came just under two months from the commencement date, which the email states was done in part so families of graduates could adjust their travel plans. 

The FAQ also states that tutoring will be moved online, with math and chemistry tutoring continuing on campus in a limited capacity. 

At a student leader luncheon on Mar. 5, McCay said that Florida Tech students were still traveling to areas under travel advisories. 

 “We have students going to Japan and to Italy that we’re aware of,” McCay said.  “If you are going to go to one of the areas around, Italy, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, any of those areas, you should let us know.” Japan is currently under a level two travel advisory from the CDC, with high-risk travelers such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions recommended to avoid nonessential travel. 

Italy remains at a level three, one of 32 European countries under CDC’s highest level of the travel advisory. 

Precautions

Standard precautions for illness prevention are advised by the CDC. 

Proper handwashing includes washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, including forearms, backs of hands, and under nails. If soap and water are not available, a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol is advised.

Coughs and sneezes should be covered, and hands washed immediately after. 

What to do if you are sick

The CDC states that those who are mildly ill with the Coronavirus are able to recover at home in isolation, with no travel outside of the home except for medical care. 

Anyone with a confirmed or possible case of the virus should call ahead to their healthcare provider before going to allow the provider to take precautionary measures. 

The CDC also advises that someone ill with the virus should wear a face mask if they must share a space, such as a bedroom or healthcare provider’s office with other people.

Routine cleaning of high-touch surfaces is recommended, including doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, phones, and tabletops. 

Tips on surviving through Hurricane Dorian

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Hurricane Dorian has been announced by official weather sources to hit the east coast of Florida. To prepare yourself for the storm, here are some essential tips to follow when a hurricane approaches:

  • Fill your bathtub or buckets with water in case your house water goes out, along with the electricity.
  • Keep batteries and electronics charged, such as your phone and flashlight in case of a power outage.
  • Bring all light-weighted materials such as clothing, empty boxes, chairs, and light tables and especially outdoor plants from your outdoor spaces to inside your home.
  • Close, lock, and board up (if necessary) all doors and windows that lead to outside spaces with shutters or plywood.
  • Unplug heavy electrical equipment such as televisions, small appliances and computers.
  • Know where the closest emergency shelter is located if you unable to stay in a weak infrastructure
  • Stay up to date through the radio (and only the radio) for updates from official sources. Phone service will most likely be unavailable at all during the storm.
  • Stock up on food that you can eat without a fridge, stove, or microwave, such as sandwiches and fruit salads.
  • Keep your car full of gas 2-3 days of when the storm is announced to hit at your home state or location. It will be difficult to find any open gas stations on the day before, days of, and days after the hurricane. Remember, some outside resources will be destroyed or disconnected from power.

And most importantly, keep yourself, family, friends and pets safe during this weather catastrophe.

Evacuation shelters available during Hurricane Dorian

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As Hurricane Dorian approaches, Brevard County Emergency Management’s website states that in the event of an evacuation, shelters will open.

Brevard Emergency Management also stated on their website that shelters are to be used as a last resort and only in the event of an evacuation.

Those seeking an evacuation shelter will need to bring their own bedding, nonperishable food, medications and medical equipment, personal hygiene items and entertainment.

Florida Tech’s Security Department states online that there are evacuation centers intended for Florida Tech residents at Meadowlane Intermediate Elementary School in West Melbourne and Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay.

Facilities prepares for Hurricane Dorian

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Florida Tech Facilities will be installing hurricane shutters Friday afternoon, and all emergency generators will be tested and ready to go, according to Dewey Yeatts, director of facilities management. 

Yeatts also stated that Facilities is working to support dining services during the hurricane, and sand bags are being delivered to buildings that need them. 

A discrete upgrade to Florida Tech’s surveillance system

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Behind the scenes look at security camera live feed. Photo by Christian Martinez.

Residents of Roberts Hall recently noticed a brand-new security camera outside the dorm where there wasn’t one previously.

This was one of the few noticed around campus, as it stuck out on the back entrance of Roberts Hall and pointing towards the bike rack.

There is no visible camera by the front entrance of the building.

Carlos Cepeda, a first-year computer science major and lab support services worker, said, “My bosses installed the cameras. This is their job. They call lab support to do stuff like this.”

Cepeda appreciates the new camera outside of Roberts since he is a resident there, but would like to keep the cameras outside the building.

Barry Cobb, assistant director of security, said, “Most of these cameras that were put in were replacements for cameras we’ve had all along.”

Cobb explained that the hardware of the cameras degrades over time, requiring replacements of the cameras themselves every five or six years.

The IT department overhauled the system by replacing “about 35 to 40 cameras” with models from 2018 and 2019 that are all digital with no moving parts.

The computers in the security office were also upgraded to monitor the livestreams.

Cobb mentioned that the cameras are all over the place: in elevators, various floors in some of the dorms, watching bike racks and in parking lots.

“They are there,” Cobb said, “If you walk around, you’ll see them.” Cobb said there were no security incidents that pushed for the camera replacements, just a system that reached the end of its life-cycle.

A camera on the side of Roberts Hall. Picture by Christian Martinez.

Thomas Couperthwaite, manager of lab support service information technology, said the installations were mainly done this past November.

“That’s when we started the first few in the parking garage at Panther Dining,” Couperthwaite said.

Couperthwaite said that some cameras were installed as recently as two weeks ago and that there are a few weeks until all of the camera installations are complete.

Some installations were as recent as a few days ago, such as the cameras installed to the roof of Evans Library on April 5.

Couperthwaite said that the cameras vary in quality depending on where they are intended to be installed.

Lower hanging cameras have a smaller resolution compared to rooftop cameras that are up high.

Replacement cameras were easy to swap out with old ones, while new cameras had to have a new data feed set up so they could stream to the security office.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” Couperthwaite said. “Every year we are maintaining and adding more cameras.”