Stay Up to Date with the Latest Changes:

Communications to students and staff are sent through various methods, including BC Alerts (the College's emergency response system, which includes email, phone, and SMS text messaging). Please review your contact information and update as needed Broward.edu/BCAlert. 

Social Distancing Measures:

Social distancing is a public health practice that aims to lessen interactions with people and add distance when we must interact in person. Additionally, if you do get infected, practicing social distance lowers your chance of spreading the virus to someone else.

Here are a few tips:

• No hugs or handshakes. 
• Take a step back if you are standing close enough to extend your arms and touch fingertips. 
• Experts recommend maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.
• Avoid large gatherings.
• The CDC recommends wearing cloth masks if you must go outside. Click here for sew and no-sew DIY options. 
• Read more about prevention here. 

Personal Precautions:

We recommend that you follow the practices provided by the CDC to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Avoid handshaking and close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• The CDC recommends wearing cloth masks if you must go outside. Click here for sew and no-sew DIY options.
• New: Pets - CDC guidelines recommend people restrict their pets from interacting with other animals when outside their house and urge people to keep cats indoors when possible and to walk dogs on a leash while maintaining at least six feet from other people and animals. The CDC also calls for people to avoid dog parks or public places where a large number of people and dogs gather. 

Broward College's Response Team:

A cross-functional team will continue to monitor developments and make decisions to maintain a healthy and safe environment for our students and employees. College officials are in contact with local and state authorities leading the response on COVID-19.

Prevention:

The College has in place measures to limit the spread of infections. These steps began with thorough cleaning of restrooms, classrooms, common areas, and floors during the spring break. There is also daily disinfecting of doorknobs, push bars, and railings and monitoring and refilling of hand sanitizer stations. Posters on how to stop the spread of germs have been installed in restrooms, and a COVID-19 factsheet has been installed in common areas.

Resources:

CDC COVID-19 Fact Sheet

CDC Use of Cloth Face Coverings & Instructions

Florida Health Department

Centers for Disease Control

You can also subscribe to email updates from the CDC here.

Students – If you think you may have been exposed to coronavirus through recent travel or through someone who had symptoms and need to self-isolate, please send an email to StudentTravel@broward.edu. It is also very important, that you contact each of your professors directly to make arrangements to complete all of your assignments and meet the academic requirements for courses in which you are currently enrolled.

Employees – If you think you may have been exposed to coronavirus through recent travel or through someone who had symptoms and need to self-isolate, please email EmployeeTravel@broward.edu. You are also required to contact your immediate supervisor.

Students & Employees – If you self-isolated for 14 days, had no symptoms during isolation, and did not come in contact with anyone who had symptoms, you may return to normal activities. 

If you have been confirmed with a positive case of COVID-19, even if not related to recent travel, please notify:

Students: StudentTravel@broward.edu. 

Employees: EmployeeTravel@broward.edu.

Feeding South Florida

Feeding South Florida provides direct-service programs to individuals in need of assistance. This includes benefits application assistance, access to our choice pantry, referrals for longer-term food assistance at a partner agency, and home delivery for qualified individuals.

Axis South Florida provides information on Farm Share food distributions in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Broward Schools Free and Reduced Meals

Starting April 27, the Broward district is offering meals from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at 51 school locations. Families are able to receive grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches for multiple days. See the full list here.

Summer Break Spot – Free Meals for Kids

With Florida schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Commissioner Nikki Fried, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Division of Food, Nutrition, and Wellness encourage families to take advantage of alternative school meals that may be offered at these locations. Find contact information for your local school district.

Click here to enter your zip code, find the closest location, and check the opening dates and hours to confirm the site is participating. You can also call 211 or text FLKIDSMEALS to 211-211 to find the closest participating Summer BreakSpot location.

Christian Life Center

FREE LUNCHES For Kids Under 18

Monday – Friday, 11AM - 1PM

Thanks to their partnership with FLIPANY, bagged lunches are available at the Fort Lauderdale Campus (2699 W Commercial Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL). Volunteers will be outside the building as meals are handed out through vehicle windows. Limit is one per student.

The Broward County Feeding Initiative offers a location map and application, which provides locations of food distribution sites.

Find additional Food and Nutrition Services for Students and Families.

Testing Locations in Broward

Walk-Up and Mobile Testing Locations can be found here.

For those who need assistance, the Florida Department of Health has a dedicated 24/7 call center for COVID-19 866-779-6121, or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

CIGNA offers a 24/7 help line at 866-912-1687.  This resource is open to all, whether or not you are covered by CIGNA medical insurance.

Broward Health Testing Site on North Campus 

As part of Broward College’s efforts to support the needs of our community during the pandemic, the College will facilitate a mobile testing site on our North Campus in Coconut Creek. The site is managed by Broward Health and is located in front of the Omni parking area. Testing begins on Tuesday, May 26, and is available by appointment from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To make an appointment call (954) 320-5730.

Local Resources

Hope for Healing- Florida

Florida Health COVID-19 Resource Kit

2-1-1 Broward Healthcare Programs

Broward Health 

Memorial Healthcare System  

National Organizations

CDC Stress and Coping

The Role of Nutrition in Supporting the Immune System

Science Daily – the Immune System Can Fight Back

World Health Organization Resources (scroll for health-related downloads)

The College provides counseling services for its students and employees.

Students can receive free support through Henderson Student Counseling Services at 954-424-6916. 

To help manage stress and anxiety, full-time Cigna-insured employees, and their households, have access to free counseling through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which can be found in the myCigna app or website, under the Coverage tab, or call 877-622-4327, and for anyone not having health benefits or employee assistance program benefits through Cigna, you may call the 24/7 help line at 866-912-1687.

https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/individuals-families/health-wellness/topic-disaster-resource-center/coping-with-the-fear-of-coronavirus.pdf

Additional resources are available here:

• Center for Disease Control - Managing Stress & Anxiety
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• 211 Broward - Behavioral Health
• NAMI Broward County (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

As of March 13: The Florida Department of Health has extended its guidelines to include individuals who recently have been on a cruise, traveled to any foreign country, or traveled through Port Everglades. 

Please note the following updates to the self-isolation protocol: 

If you (1) recently visited any foreign country, (2) returned from a cruise, (3) traveled through Port Everglades, or (4) were exposed to someone with symptoms, we request that you self-isolate for 14 days and notify the College by email per the self-isolation protocol below.

Based on the current spread of COVID-19 across the U.S., all college-related travel is canceled until further notice. This restriction applies to international and domestic air travel, as well as travel by motor vehicles such as car, van, and bus. The cancelation includes, but is not limited to, academic competitions, athletic events, conferences, seminars, and study abroad programs.

College-sponsored travel by motor vehicle will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the trip coordinator and their supervisor.

Students, who are scheduled to participate in a college-sponsored trip, should contact the College coordinator (i.e., athletic coach, club advisor) for more information. This includes, but is not limited to, academic competitions, athletic events, conferences, and study abroad programs for the summer term. For additional information on the status of other Broward College Study Abroad programs.

Students and employees are highly encouraged to avoid personal air travel.