Nov 13 2020

Several cases of the novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) at Niigata University have been confirmed since the beginning of this year. Through investigating the cases, we have found out that there was a case where a group of multiple people dined together, including drinking over a long period of time.

Niigata University has requested cooperation to refrain from holding drinking parties due to the high risk of infection, and may I remind you that all NU students as well as faculty and staff members are required to take control measures inside and outside of the campus, and take extra caution on the following.

1. Wear a mask and keep the distance of one or two meters as much as possible when you talk to others. Make sure to wash your hands and disinfect your figures after going out and before eating.
2. Avoid "Three Cs": Closed spaces with poor ventilation, Crowded places with many people nearby, and Close-contact settings such as close-range conversations.
3. Refrain from holding social gatherings, such as dining together, and drinking parties with your classmates and colleagues in places like restaurants, dormitories, and apartment buildings.
4. Regarding extracurricular activities, please take extra caution on the risk of the infection with following the rules of reporting activities.
5. Do not go traveling in a group of more than five or six people in terms of the risk of the infection.
6. Take utmost caution when you move out of Niigata prefecture grasping the situation of infection in the destination. Refrain from close contact with unspecified people coming from outside the prefecture, and avoid contact with many people.

All information including relevant notifications and guidelines regarding the control measures against COVID-19 is posted on "Information Regarding the Novel Coronavirus." I encourage you all to refer to the website.

Furthermore, you could refer to the proposal of "Five situations that increase the risk of infection" and "The ideas to enjoy social gatherings while lowering the risk of infection" (*Japanese only) by the government subcommittee on COVID-19 measures as well as "Thorough control measures for the events held without hosts" and "The points for control measures against COVID-19 in cold situation" (*both Japanese only) by Office for Novel Coronavirus Disease Control, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan.

USHIKI Tatsuo, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Niigata University