To Our Research Community:
This afternoon, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued a statewide “stay-at-home” order that takes effect at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow (Monday, March 22).
Given that news reports about this order have already prompted several inquiries regarding its effects on Case Western Reserve’s research efforts, I wanted to provide clarity to all of you.
The order includes a specific exception for educational institutions, including for purposes of “performing critical research,” so long as those present maintain “social distancing of six feet per person… to the greatest extent possible.”
The direction aligns with the guidance I sent out Friday, affirming that researchers should do as much work as possible remotely—but may come to campus to maintain research operations.
I want to reiterate that working on campus should be reduced to the minimum necessary. In addition to practicing social distancing, other precautions should be taken, such as frequent hand washing and staggered work hours to limit the number of people in a laboratory at any given time.
If you have any questions about research operations in light of Ohio’s stay-at-home order, please contact me directly at suzanne.rivera@case.edu.
Suzanne M. Rivera, PhD
Vice President for Research and Technology Management