11.12.21: New Cases, Important Reminders

A message sent to members of the Lehigh community and Lehigh Families.

Dear Members of the Lehigh Community and Lehigh Families,

Since the COVID Response Team sent Wednesday’s weekly update, 8 students have tested positive for COVID. These new positive results came from close contact testing, surveillance testing, and outside tests reported to the university. View the Lehigh COVID Dashboard.

While the number of total active cases is still low, we are concerned that we are seeing an uptick in cases in our campus community when Northampton County has also seen a 28% increase in cases over the last two weeks. In light of this increase, we are emphasizing the importance of mask-wearing indoors and staying home when sick, and reminding community members of the importance of getting tested if you are experiencing any symptoms. You should also consider avoiding large gatherings, especially indoors. We are not changing the campus status at this time and hope that increased vigilance—especially in mask-wearing—and voluntary measures will prevent us from needing to make any changes.

Students: If you feel unwell and think you may be experiencing COVID-like symptoms, regardless of your vaccination status, stay in your residence, avoid contact with others, and call the Health and Wellness Center at 610-758-3870. Over the weekend and after hours, a clinician is on call and available for emergencies. Supplemental to the Health and Wellness Center, we have partnered with the Lehigh Valley Health Network to provide access to their 24/7 nurse triage line (1-888-402-LVHN). Speak with a nurse to assess COVID and other symptoms, answer your questions, and discuss your testing options.

Isolation and Quarantine Information- For more information and reminders about Lehigh’s isolation and quarantine protocol, visit the COVID Information Center. See all frequently asked questions.

Faculty and Staff: Contact the university’s Employee Health Nurse Case Manager from Lehigh Valley Health Network at 610-861-8080 ext. 23504 to arrange for symptomatic testing.

Close Contacts: Anyone (students, faculty and staff) who was notified or believes they are a close contact may sign up for close contact testing here, even if they are not symptomatic. You must schedule an appointment through the link.

Next week, surveillance testing for students, faculty and staff who are not experiencing symptoms continues. Sign up for an appointment Nov. 15-18.

Vaccination continues to help with preventing severe cases and hospitalization from COVID, as well as the number of individuals requiring quarantine; however, when there is a spike in cases, it’s critical to take quick action to prevent further spread. We thank the community for your increased vigilance as we continue to monitor case counts.

-COVID Response Team