2021 January 18

～Let us all students, faculty and staff protect the lives of our loved ones as our own! ～

Tetsuo Arakawa, President, Osaka City University
Masahiro Tatsumisago, President, Osaka Prefecture University
Yutaka Maeda, President, Kansai University President

　On January 13, Osaka Prefecture, where our universities are located, was added to the list of prefectures to be declared in a state of emergency. The number of infected people in Osaka Prefecture has exceeded the coping capacity of our medical institutions, and if the number increases further, lives that could be saved will not, and medical personnel will be forced to “triage” i.e. make the extremely painful choice of who lives.
　The recent sharp increase in the number of infections in Osaka Prefecture tends to be especially common among young and middle-aged people. In a shift from night life to home, it seems that asymptomatic or mildly infected people unknowingly bring the virus home with them. As a result, the virus has spread to the elderly, leading to an increase in the number of seriously ill people.
　Nowadays, everyone is at risk of becoming infected. Act as if you have the virus. By now we are accustomed to refraining from at-risk activities, such as drinking and eating in large groups, but if each of us, faculty, staff, and students, takes basic measures to prevent infection at home, such as masks, hand washing, hand disinfection, keeping a safe distance from others, temperature monitoring, and health management, we are convinced that the spread of infection will stop and the number of people who become seriously ill will decrease.
　End-of-semester exams are upon us. Afterwards many of you will have more time to spare before the new semester starts in April. We are sure there are things that you can challenge yourself to do during this time. Please spend some time to think about what kind of life you want to lead and what you would like to do. If you do this, we are sure that when you return to your daily life, you will have the ability to cope with change. We sincerely hope that you will have an enjoyable and memorable student life.

Fig. 1 - Meetings of 4 or more people? What should you do?
1. Use locations that have displayed the "We vow to prevent the spread of infections" sticker, issued by the Osaka Prefecture Government.
2. Sanitize any hands and fingers that touch a table. ※carry a mini-bottle of sanitizer around with you.
3. Do not share food or drink.
4. Take your mask off only when eating.
5. Use partitions whenever possible.
6. Finish the gathering within 2 hours.
7. Thinking of doing some Karaoke? Absolutely not!
8. If you are not feeling well within 2 days after the gathering, check yourself into a hospital and inform those from the gathering.

Fig. 2 - Spending time at home? What should you do?
1. Sanitize/wash your hands at the entrance of your house.
2. Change your clothes near the entrance or in your room.
3. Practice Social distancing and properly ventilate your home.
4. Do not share food, dishware, or towels.
5. Consistently sanitize/wash your hands.
6. Wear a mask whenever possible.
7. Use partitions whenever possible.

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※ Osaka City University, Osaka Prefecture University, and Kansai University signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2008, and have been exchanging and collaborating in various activities such as education, research, social contribution, and international activities.