Trump declares national emergency, local response continues
Photo by Sydney Pressley.
Trump declares a national emergency to combat coronavirus
On Friday afternoon, President Trump declared a national emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic, utilizing the Stafford Act to provide emergency funding to state and local governments.
“I am officially declaring a national emergency, two very big words,” Trump said during the rose garden press conference.
Trump emphasized the “decisive action” and “seamless partnerships” formed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis in addition to the importance of need-based testing.
The Whitehouse Coronavirus Taskforce, led by Vice President Mike Pence, announced a testing plan for Americans, beginning with a Google-sponsored website with screening questions available Sunday night.
Additionally, Trump announced a series of private-public partnerships with several major retailers, including Walmart, CVS, Target and Walgreens. These retailers have agreed to reserve portions of their parking lots for “drive through” coronavirus testing as early as next week, according to Trump.
Gulf South Conference suspends all athletic events
On Friday, Lee and the Gulf South Conference (GSC) announced the immediate cancellation of all athletic events for the indefinite future in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
GSC released a statement on Friday saying, “In response to the continued impact of COVID-19, the Gulf South Conference has suspended all athletic competition, countable athletic related activities, and off-campus recruiting for an indefinite period. This decision was made after thorough collaboration between the conference office, university presidents and chancellors, and the league's athletic directors.”
Lee and GSC said they are monitoring the situation closely as they make decisions for the future.
Lee Encore Program cancels spring mini-courses
Lee’s Encore Program has cancelled all mini-courses for the remainder of the spring semester, including “Back to the Sixties,” “Basic Microsoft Applications,” “Choral Union,” “Fitness for the Encore Years,” “Grief & Loss,” “Joint Conditioning,” “Scotland: Then and Now,” “The Age of Napoleon,” and “Tennessee in Tennis Shoes.”
According to Director of Community Relations Bethany McCoy, Encore professors will have the option of continuing or cancelling the remainder of the Encore courses once on-campus classes resume March 30. Students will be notified if their professor chooses to resume the course.
Mayor Brooks halts permits for public gatherings in Cleveland
On Friday, Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks signed into order a suspension of all permits for public gatherings. Brooks said applications for gatherings will reopen on March 30.
“The purpose of our city government always has been and always will be to serve the citizens of Cleveland, Tennessee,” Brooks said in a statement. “As the effects of coronavirus continue to effect our nation, it is up to us here in the City with Spirit to exercise the proper amount of caution and reasonable action.”
Brooks added that his office is encouraging the public to seek medical attention immediately after experiencing signs of illness.
“For now, do not give into fear, but do make wise decisions regarding your health and the health of those around you,” Brooks said.
Lee dining services announce operation hours
As Dr. Conn announced on Thursday, Lee’s dining services will remain open during this time for students who rely on them.
According to a statement from Sodexo, “The health and safety of Sodexo employees and consumers is our utmost priority. Local teams have been proactively managing the response with our clients since the outbreak was first announced, ensuring business continuity and the safety of the teams and consumers in the various geographies where we operate.”
The tentative schedule for the dining services are as follows:
Sunday, March 15:
Dining Hall: First meal is lunch
Dunkin: 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
All other venues closed.
Monday & Tuesday, March 16 & 17:
Dining Hall: Normal hours of operation
Dunkin: Normal hours of operation
Chick-Fil’A: Normal hours of operation
Jazzman’s: Normal hours of operation
All other venues closed
Wednesday, March 18 – Sunday, March 29:
Dining Hall: Normal hours of operation
Retail Dining Venues: TBA
Monday, March 30:
Normal hours of operation for all dining venues
For immediate questions, email pconn@leeuniversity.edu or Dr. Murray at debmurray@leeuniversity.edu. For ongoing updates, follow @LeeClarion on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
