Find summarized information for

• Continuing International Students
• New Incoming International Students
• Taking Classes Online
• International Student Health Insurance Information

What is Novel Coronavirus?

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus strain similar to the common cold spreading from person-to-person, with the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia in some people. 

How is the coronavirus disease spread?

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• The air by coughing and sneezing, or close person-to-person contact
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Symptoms of coronavirus may include:

• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Cough

If you have traveled to/from Wuhan City, China and have symptoms, contact a health care provider.

If you have been notified by public health authorities that you might have been exposed, please follow instructions provided by the Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus. The CDC recommends everyday prevention measures, including:

• Everyone get a seasonal flu vaccination if possible. While it will not prevent the novel coronavirus, influenza is currently in widespread circulation, and initial symptoms can be similar to novel coronavirus.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home from school or work if sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Don’t share food and drinks.
• Clean and disinfect shared surfaces and objects that are touched frequently.

What to do if you are not feeling well

Stay home when you are sick. Do not report to work or attend classes if you are ill. Instructors, consider providing students with ways to complete work from home. This is good advice no matter what illness is going around.

If you are concerned about your flu-like illness, call your health care provider for advice and share any travel history. Stay home, rest, and stay hydrated.

The Washington State Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

Online Resources

• Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks (PDF)
• Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health:  Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak (PDF)
• Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19

If you're not sure if you're eligible for unemployment benefits, please use the eligibility checker for information about your possible eligibility.

• See the ESD COVID-19 page for details about changes to eligibility.

General Application Information

Application information is available at the Washington Employment Security Department web page. Useful tools are linked below:

1. Application checklist
2. “What is asked when I apply”
3. Setting up a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account
4. Apply online with eServices
   1. eServices User Guide
   2. Technical support FAQs.

After you apply:

You will receive an Unemployment claim determination letting you know if you are eligible for benefits and how much you will receive. 

If you have questions related to collecting unemployment insurance, please contact the Employment Security Department. The Community Colleges of Spokane works directly with the Employment Security Department to respond to information requests but does not play a role in determining who is eligible for unemployment.

What is the current status of coronavirus at SCC and SFCC?

At this time we have no known cases of Coronavirus at either of our colleges and no planned closures, though classes did move online for the start of Spring Quarter, which itself was delayed a week to April 13. If we do have a temporary closure, you will be notified through our CCS Rave Alerts. All registered students are automatically added to RAVE Alerts and you can check here to see if our notifications to you are set correctly.

Will there be school closures?

We do not know yet if there will be closures of our colleges, rural centers, childcare centers or offices. But we are preparing so that we will be ready to take fast action if needed. Everyone’s health and safety is our highest priority.

Decision-making

Unlike our local decision making with weather-related closures, our Chancellor will follow the advice and direction from our Spokane County Regional Health District, the National Center for Disease Control and prevention and state officials.

Notifications:

If we have suspended operations, you will be notified through our RAVE Alert system that sends out calls, emails and text messages. Now is a great time to go to the RAVE Alert webpages and make sure your notification settings are correct. You can always check our Emergency Operations Hotline (509-533-3303) for information on emergency closures or delays. It is available 24/7 for your convenience.

What are you doing to help keep us safe?

We are reviewing and updating our emergency management plans so that we can take fast action should there be an outbreak in our area.  Our facilities teams have been spending extra time cleaning our buildings and sanitizing surfaces people commonly touch. Our leadership is meeting daily to coordinate our efforts to prepare for this situation.

How is CCS making decisions about coronavirus?

We are monitoring the virus' spread in Washington and are communicating daily with community and college stakeholders. We are also following direction from the Spokane Regional Health District, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Washington State Department of Health and other state officials.

If classes are cancelled, how can I find out?

If we have suspended operations, you will be notified through our RAVE Alert system that sends out calls, emails and text messages. Now is a great time to go to the RAVE Alert webpages and make sure your notification settings are correct. You can always check our Emergency Operations Hotline (509-533-3303) for information on emergency closures or delays. It is available 24/7 for your convenience.

What resources are available?

We have posted some basic information about the coronavirus and steps you can take to stay healthy on our college web pages that we will keep updating about the coronavirus and its impacts in our area.  We also have resources to state and federal health information and ways to get information in many different languages.

Here are links to the college webpages: SFCC Coronavirus Updates and SCC Coronavirus Updates . We will update these webpages if conditions change or if there is more information we need to share.

What should I do if I get sick?

Stay home when you are sick. Do not report to work or attend classes if you are ill. Let your instructors know if you are out sick so you can arrange to make-up coursework. Every course and program is different, but our faculty are working together to find ways to respond to students who are out sick. Be sure to contact your instructor.

If you are concerned about your flu-like illness, call your health care provider for advice and share any travel history. Stay home, rest, and stay hydrated. If you are sick with a respiratory virus, please stay home rather than risk spreading it to others.

How can I reduce the risk of getting sick?

Frequent hand washing with soap for at least 20 seconds is your best defense against the flu and coronavirus. Also try to avoid contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Clean and disinfect shared surfaces and objects that are touched frequently.

I feel anxious about coronavirus. What can I do?

In situations that are uncertain and evolving such as this, it’s understandable to feel stressed or anxious. We recommend the following steps: Find credible sources you can trust to avoid any panic that can be caused by misinformation. Follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about preventing the spread of the virus. We'll do our best to share up-to-date facts on our websites and we will send alerts out to you if we have any closures.

What should I know about travel for Spring Break?

Faculty, staff or students planning to travel abroad are advised to have contingency plans in the event of major disruptions, such as the possibility of being unable to return to the U.S. due to in-country quarantines. Carefully weigh the risks and benefits of international travel by reviewing important CDC information on COVID-19. Check travel advisories and health safety information for your intended destination with the U.S. Department of State. 

The Washington Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.