Dear Members of the Lehigh Community,
As we near the end of the academic semester, we hope all are well. During this time, as exams, celebratory events and other gatherings are taking place, we are writing to make the community aware of an uptick in COVID cases so you can take the appropriate steps to stay safe and healthy and preserve as much as possible the opportunity to participate fully in end-of-semester activities.
COVID case counts in Northampton County have seen an uptick (four times higher than the recent lowest number), and we are seeing an associated rise in COVID cases on campus for students, faculty and staff as well (with 18 active student cases and 11 active faculty and staff cases at the time of this message).
We are not making any changes to the Campus Status at this time; however, taking the precautions we know help to mitigate the spread of the virus will help enable a safe and healthy remainder of the semester. Please consider wearing a mask indoors, especially when in larger group settings. Also, monitor your symptoms and stay home and get tested if you feel sick. If you have been exposed to someone who tested positive, monitor your symptoms, get tested and immediately start wearing a well-fitted mask (if taking a rapid test, repeat testing may be preferable, such as taking two tests at least 48 hours apart).
Optional surveillance testing is being offered for students, faculty and staff May 9-19. Refer to the campus email sent yesterday for additional details and sign up for an appointment here.
Taking these preventative measures to protect yourself against COVID will help mitigate the need for any campus status changes and help us all finish the semester strong.
-COVID Response Team
Additional Resources:
Staying healthy mentally is as important as staying healthy physically. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which brings light to the importance of mental health and combats the stigma associated with mental illness. Mental health is important for everyone. Grappling with stressors such as COVID and end-of-semester activity, as well as personal stressors, can take a toll on our mental health and well-being. Take a moment to breathe and check in with yourself. We encourage students, faculty and staff to take the opportunity to seek out a campus resource today.
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Did you know that now you can sort campus events by “Health and Wellness” on the Events Calendar? More events will continue to be added, and event organizers are encouraged to use the health and wellness tag when submitting their events to the calendar.
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Human Resources put together this compilation of resources dedicated to Mental Health Awareness Month.
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Find more support services and wellness resources for students, faculty and staff here.