Coronavirus: a Short Explainer and Suggestions from Sunrise
Dear Sunrise Partners and Friends,
We thought it was important to write to you about the rapidly evolving situation with the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). We’ll first provide a quick overview of current developments, and then offer recommendations in light of the rapidly evolving situation.
While the situation is still unfolding, the following is what we know so far:
As of January 29 at 9:00PM, there were about 7,700 confirmed cases in China, and a further 80 cases have been reported abroad. 170 deaths from the illness have been reported in China. No deaths abroad are confirmed.
The virus causes flu-like symptoms for many. Those who have fallen ill suffer coughs, fever, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure. Nearly (but not all) deaths have been people over the age of 55 or with existing medical conditions.
The WHO has declared a public health emergency, though currently most international borders remain open, with some extra screenings and restrictions. Many governments are warning against non-essential travel to China for now. The Chinese government has responded decisively, closing off several large cities in Hubei and preventing anyone except medical personnel to enter or leave. Many companies nationwide are required to close until early next week, creating cash flow issues for some. Some flights have been cancelled due to low demand, while other airlines have suspended service for 1-4 weeks.
What about schools and universities? Most universities and schools will be closed until February 17, although some departments have said that schools will be closed until further notice, suggesting possible postponement past February 17. February testing dates for TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, ACT, and GMAT have been cancelled. Large scale activities are likely to be restricted or encounter heavy scrutiny in the initial few weeks after schools re-open. SAT and gaokao authorities have announced no adjustments yet but are monitoring the situation.
With that in mind, our current recommendations are as follows:
Send a message of solidarity to your Chinese partners and stakeholders. Our team is happy to draft one on your behalf to share on your Chinese social media platforms.
Advocate that your leadership send a health advisory to your campus community on preventative measures against the virus, together with a reminder that the symptoms are flu-like and the virus has affected less than 0.0007% of the Chinese population. The Coronavirus should not be cause for generalized fear on campus. Chinese students should be accorded the same dignity and respect that all students deserve on your campus. Coordinate with your health services department about the possibility of a dedicated hotline or free health checks for recent travellers from China.
Cancel all February recruitment or other travel to China, as most schools and universities will be closed. Few companies will be operating at full capacity, and inter-city transportation is expected to be significantly more complicated until February 7. For the sake of preventing issues with your travel to other countries, we suggest you also cancel all spring recruitment travel in Hubei province (note that Hubei is different from Hebei). We are currently tracking the latest updates for spring fairs and admissions events, and we will keep it updated with latest information. For countries in Asia and outside of China, we advise consulting with your partners and checking State Department and WHO notices.
Unless your institution requires otherwise, adopt a “wait and see” approach for March, April, and May travel. We believe that the situation will continue to worsen for some days or weeks, but eventually the virus will be contained in a similar way to how SARS was contained in 2003-2004. We expect that schools will reopen in late February or early March. Before then, arranging travel, visits, or fairs will be next to impossible because officials will be hesitant to approve them, if they’re in the office at all. Once the spread of the virus slows down, we expect a trickle of large-scale events to be permitted, particularly in the hotter and sunnier regions of China that are inhospitable to the virus. As normal life resumes, event planning will have extensive restrictions and oversight. Many event planners are cancelling or postponing March events, while others are awaiting more information. If you plan to travel to China in March, we suggest waiting a week from now to get a greater sense of finality about whether the events will be taking place. April events may be affected, but we would suggest waiting as late as you comfortably can before cancelling or adjusting your plans. May events are less likely to be significantly affected, although they may be more limited in scope and participation.
Postpone all admitted student receptions and related events until after March for the reasons stated above.
Consider hosting a webcast or using forms of digital engagement in place of February and possibly March travel. Besides channels like Wechat and Weibo, we’ll be hosting a series of university recruitment presentation webinars for students in schools who can’t host college fairs. We’ll be ironing out the details in the coming days, but please fill out this short form if you’d like to hear more. If you have any questions about digital outreach or would like help hosting an exclusive livestream or virtual event, please feel free to get in touch.
Consider increased test flexibility for this year’s applicant batch from China, since most February test dates have been cancelled, and uncertainty looms over many March testing dates and locations.
While the coronavirus sounds scary, know that your Chinese colleagues and partners will pull through with your support! Try to be as understanding as possible to your Chinese partners and colleagues: imagine if a massive epidemic spread right before Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid al-Fitr, or Diwali!
We’ll close by saying that you should always strongly consider the advice of medical professionals and government travel notices, and we hope that this overview from the perspective of a recruitment travel organizer is helpful. Please let us know if you have any questions or we can assist you in navigating this time of uncertainty.
Thank you,
Gavin and David
Gavin@sieconnection.com
David@sieconnection.com