Our staff is paying close attention to resident concerns, Washington state guidelines, and Cornish leadership as we cope with the current pandemic. We are continually evaluating our options and considering what is necessary to ensure the safety of our residents and our communities. 

To keep you informed on our current status and progress, please watch this page and pay close attention to any emails we may send you. Thank you!

June 5: Shelter-in-place is being rolled back as part of Washington state's Safe Start process. Currently, King County is in a Phase 2 state out of four phases. 

Please be cautious and continue to use methods such as social distancing and face coverings while in public. Additional guidelines for social gatherings recommend staying outdoors and visiting with only five or fewer people. For more information, visit King County's Safe Start page for more about our current status and guidelines.

Our building follows higher education and school housing guidelines, which may differ from guidelines for other housing or local businesses. We will continue to take any necessary measures to ensure healthy and safe communities for our residents and staff. Our team is tracking and evaluating local King County updates, and we will inform residents directly when our protocols change. 

May 18: King County is issuing new guidelines for the public use of face coverings. Cornish Commons staff will be following this directive and directing residents to do the same within our community.

All individuals must wear face coverings over their noses and mouths when they will be at (1) indoor public settings, or (2) outdoor public locations and cannot maintain distancing of approximately six feet from another individual who does not share their household. Individuals should use face coverings such as cloth face masks, scarves and bandana coverings.

How does this translate to your residency at Cornish Commons and use of Nellie’s Espresso Bar? In accordance with this directive and in an effort to uphold the highest health and safety standards for our community, Cornish Commons considers your room to be your household and considers all other common areas of the building to be indoor public settings. Nellie’s Espresso Bar will also reflect the indoor public setting guidelines.

If you have questions, please contact us at housing@cornish.edu and we will do our best to assist. For more information, exceptions, and instructions regarding this directive, see this page at King County's government website.

April 28: During our summer occupancy, all residents will be placed in single rooms or single rooms with kitchenettes in accordance with advisories for the State of Washington.

HANDWASHING

Cornish Commons strongly recommends following handwashing guidelines as a primary way of preventing the transmission of illness. Handwashing should be performed frequently, especially after being in public or touching shared surfaces.

For more information about handwashing, please visit this CDC webpage.

FACE COVERAGE

The Center for Disease Control currently recommends the use of washable cloth face coverings for the protection of yourself and others. 

• You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
• Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities. Our common spaces in the building count as "public" for the purposes of this guideline.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
• Do NOT use a facemask meant for a healthcare worker.
• Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

Face coverings can be made by hand, whether sewn or made from a common item such as a handkerchief or t-shirt. If possible, Cornish Commons recommends using one to the best of your ability. 

For more information on using and making face coverings, please visit this CDC webpage. 

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Our staff is following social distancing measures for the protection of our community, and we encourage our residents to do the same. Social distancing means:

• Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people
• Do not gather in groups
• Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings

Activities and areas of the building which encourage social gathering are currently being closed or restricted at this time. The building is equipped with strong Wi-Fi that will support remote work and remote study needs, such as teleconferencing. 

We thank all of you who are doing your best to prevent the potential transmission of illness within our community.

WELCOME DESK SERVICES

To continue monitoring building access, our security team is currently staffing our building entrance 24/7 from the Welcome Desk. Our regular Welcome Desk services have transitioned to remote access for the safety of our student and professional staff, but help is still available.

Please contact us for your regular residential concerns, or any services that would normally be performed by Welcome Desk staff. Email us any time at housing@cornish.edu. You can always call us at 206.315.5852 or use the on-call phone number provided to you at move-in.

Guests are currently restricted from access to Cornish Commons at this time. If a guest is necessary, please contact us to have your request for guest approval reviewed. Please include information about your guest, such as their name, purpose for visiting, and if relevant, their relationship to you. Up to one guest may be approved.

If you are a current resident who is moving in or out, please plan on no more than one guest helper. You must still seek guest approval in advance.