The Cal Poly Recreation Center is being prepared to serve as an Alternate Care Site in the event that local hospitals have more patients than they can treat and house safely. The Recreation Center is not currently being used to house COVID-19 patients. The facility would be used as an emergency overflow facility only if local hospitals are overwhelmed. At the moment, local hospitals are functioning well and are able to treat the COVID-19 cases in the county.
As a state institution, Cal Poly has a duty to the people of California to assist in the response to public emergencies and the requests of the governor and local authorities. The county has found the Recreation Center uniquely suitable to serve as an Alternate Care Site, since it is a large facility, has excellent access to water and electricity, can be accessed by public roads that do not run through other parts of campus, and primarily contains hard surfaces that are relatively easy to sanitize.
Should the Recreation Center be used as an alternate care site, general Cal Poly students, faculty, or staff will not be in the facility while COVID-19 patients are present. Limited essential trade workers would service the facility in the unlikely event of an infrastructure emergency. Any individual trade workers uncomfortable with servicing the building would not be required to do so. All precautions would be taken during the transport of patients and during any period that they might be present in the Recreation Center.
Every precaution will be made to ensure the safety of all staff and participants. Prior to reopening the Recreation Center, the county will oversee an industry-standard, hospital-level disinfection.
For more information, visit coronavirus.calpoly.edu/campus-operations.
