Photo courtesy of CNN.com.
By Kate Packard
In the March 11, community-wide update on COVID-19, students were informed not to return to campus until March 30, 2020. During the time period that students are off-campus, Facilities Management will be conducting at least two rounds of deep-cleaning in residence halls as well as academic and administrative buildings.
Associate Director of Building Services Robert MacEachern explained that the spring break period is typically dedicated to project-based work in campus buildings, this year, spring break was dedicated to disinfecting campus buildings.
Prior to the announcement that the College would be closed until March 30, Facilities worked to disinfect high-touch areas, which MacEachern identified as things like light switches, doorknobs, and counters. Following the announcement that the College would be taking a two-week hiatus from on-campus instruction, Facilities implemented a more intense cleaning procedure.
After the period for students to retrieve their belongings has ended on Tuesday March 17, Facilities has begun disinfecting the residence halls again, this time using a combination of an electrostatic sprayer and a pump sprayer.
While the pump sprayer is used specifically for those aforementioned high-touch areas, the electrostatic sprayer is far more efficient than simply wiping down a surface with a disinfectant wipe. The mist is fine enough that it can be sprayed on an entire room, including on electronics. The electrostatic picks up a charge to stick to the surface where it remains for 10 to 15 minutes, killing any germs.
This procedure is being used both in residence halls and academic and administrative buildings. Essential personnel who are remaining on campus have been asked to identify a time during the day when they can leave their office to allow Facilities to disinfect the space. This is being done daily. If the staff member is unable to leave their office for any reason, this information is being relayed to second and third shift Facilities staff, who will disinfect the office during their shift.
In response to concerns that the dorm rooms specifically would not be disinfected as part of this process, MacEachern stated that “cleaning kits” had been left in all common rooms and kitchens in the residence halls, allowing students to disinfect their own rooms upon their return to campus. However, because COVID-19 can likely only survive on surfaces for a maximum of a few days according to the World Health Organization, students should rest assured that any traces of the virus in their dorm rooms will likely be dead by the time they return to campus.
For students who may have questions about how to properly disinfect their space, a list of effective products can be found here. Questions about cleaning procedures at Stonehill should be directed to Facilities Management at (508) 565-1361.