May 8, 2009.
In late April and early May, MPC brought together members of its Incident Command Center several times to evaluate a course of action and preparation to be put in place in the wake of the health alert surrounding the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. As of May 7, five of the original probable cases of the H1N1 flu virus in Monterey County have been confirmed. By this time, it had been determined that the virus was a milder strain than originally feared.
While no schools in Monterey County have been closed as of this time, the Monterey County Health Department and the Center for Disease Control will continue to conduct flu surveillance and follow up on the progress of this flu strain likely into the fall. MPC will also remain watchful for any change in the current status and will advise as it is made known to us.
Meanwhile, with fall flu season just around the corner, strong recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Health Departments are that we remain vigilant with Best Practices as follows:
· Wash your hands regularly with soap and water (20-30 seconds),
· Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze (sneeze into a tissue or into your arm) and
· Maintain and use sanitizing hand gels and disinfecting wipes (wipes for phones, light keyboard use, surfaces etc.)
Please refer to the District website at www.mpc.edu for campus updates, the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/index.htm for updates as monitored by the CDC and the Monterey County Health Department at http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/Health/.
Thank you for your cooperation and attention.
If you have additional questions, you may contact Student Health Services, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at 831-646-4017.