The following message was sent on March 11, 2020, to students, faculty and staff regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

To the campus community,

As you may have seen in the news today, a Montana woman visiting Maryland has tested positive for COVID-19. We are closely monitoring the situation with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and will continue to keep you updated.

Your health and safety are our top priority, and the Chancellor’s Cabinet, in collaboration with the UMW Safety and Security Committee, are following the procedures outlined in our Community Health Crisis Safety Plan and have communicated with the heads of each key area to ensure that we are prepared in the event that COVID-19 were to become present in the state, Beaverhead County, or the City of Dillon.

For current updates, please visit our UMW Health Advisories webpage: https://www.umwestern.edu/section/health-advisories/

There is also a yellow notification bar at the top of our website, https://www.umwestern.edu/, with the link to the Health Advisories page for your convenience.

Above all, we ask for your help. The best defense against any virus is good hand-washing and respiratory hygiene. Please help us keep our campus safe: Cover your Cough, Stay Home if you’re sick and Wash Your Hands. As the CDC notes, everyone has a role to play in getting ready and staying healthy.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Weatherby