Dear Members of the Lehigh Community and Lehigh Families,
We are pleased the semester is off to a strong start—a warm welcome to everyone in the Lehigh community as the first week of classes concludes.
Some reminders to help encourage a strong first few weeks of the semester:
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As expected with increased campus activity, we are seeing more COVID cases, particularly for students, with 72 active student cases as of this message. Be attentive to the best practices for mitigating the spread of the virus, especially indoors and when in groups. We are continuing to monitor case counts and will provide updates on any new mitigation measures, including potentially mandatory indoor masking. The dashboard will continue to be updated weekly.
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Given the current case counts, we strongly encourage masking indoors when around others. Current operations provide the option for any meeting organizer or classroom leader (faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, etc.) to require masks; please follow the instructions provided in these cases. Provost Urban shared additional guidance for faculty and instructional staff.
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Masks and COVID tests are available for pickup by students at the Health & Wellness Center (HWC) Monday through Friday, and departments and classes/labs may also order a supply of masks.
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Students should follow the most current health guidance (including for testing and isolation/quarantine) provided by the HWC. Faculty and staff testing positive, or who have questions, should contact Lehigh’s occupational health nurse (at Christine.Wolfe@lvhn.org) and follow her guidance. We recently updated our protocols to align with the CDC’s current quarantining guidance.
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Over the weekend, students who are symptomatic should take a COVID test, submit any positive results through the Student Health Portal, and follow the isolation instructions on the HWC website. For students experiencing severe symptoms after hours or over the weekend, there is a clinician-on-call for non-emergency health advice. Provide the answering service with your name and phone number. The clinician-on-call (a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician who works at the HWC) will call you back. Alternatively, you can access Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) 24/7 nurse triage line at 1-888-402-LVHN to speak with a nurse to assess COVID and other symptoms and discuss testing options. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call the Lehigh University Police Department at 610-758-4200 if you are on Lehigh's campus. If you are not on Lehigh's campus, call 911.
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For anyone experiencing symptoms, stay home and away from others if you feel sick and utilize frequent testing as we are seeing more individuals testing positive after initially testing negative.
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Visit the COVID information website for more information and any updates throughout the semester.
Thank you for your diligence and support of a healthy semester together.
-COVID Response Team