We’ve just received word that this update has been published on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) website:

South Seattle College learned on Monday, March 9 that a student at our main campus in West Seattle has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Information so far indicates the student was on campus for an evening class, entering one classroom in the University Center Building (UNI). UNI is now closed in preparation for cleaning and sanitization.

The individual is complying with instructions from health care professionals to stay home in self-isolation, and we wish our student the best in their recovery. A college employee who had a confirmed interaction with the student is in contact with their physician and has been advised to remain at home.

College officials are in direct communication with King County Public Health, and stand ready to support their work. Department of Health guidance at this time is that you generally need to be in close contact with someone with COVID-19 to get infected. Close contact includes scenarios like living with or caring for a person with confirmed COVID-19, being within six feet of a person with confirmed COVID-19 for about 10 minutes, or if someone with COVID-19 coughed on you, kissed you, shared utensils with you, or you had direct contact with their body secretions.

Following the guidance from King County Public Health and out of an abundance of caution, South Seattle College is moving the main campus in West Seattle to remote operations starting March 10 and for the remainder of Winter Quarter, ending March 25, 2020. During this time, the West Seattle campus at 6000 16th Ave SW will be closed for deep-cleaning and sanitization and to provide us time to work with public health officials to best protect the campus community and slow the possible spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Georgetown Campus, NewHolly Learning Center classrooms and the Harbor Island Training Center will stay open (with possible alternative modes of instruction in place) at this time.

College leadership is actively planning for remote operations, and additional information will be shared in the coming days. Students, please keep in contact with your instructors, and more information about accessing student services will be shared soon. Faculty and staff, please keep in contact with your supervisors as we work through this ever-changing and unprecedented situation.

Staff and faculty may come to campus on March 10 to consult with their supervisor and gather necessary supplies for remote work. Staff should reference recent emails from IT Services and Human Resources for further instruction. Staff who receive a paper paycheck can stop by the cashier’s office by 2 p.m. on March 10. Otherwise, the paycheck will be mailed to your home address on file.

We have made this decision to put the safety, health and well-being of our campus community first. Students, please keep in contact with your instructors, and faculty and staff, please keep in contact with your supervisors as we work through this ever-changing and unprecedented situation.

SSC already had started the process of moving to “alternative modes of instruction” starting this week. This is the first *announced* case of COVID-19 publicly linked to West Seattle, though we can’t say for sure that there aren’t others, as Seattle-King County Public Health has stopped announcing details on new cases.