The VPSL Column | November 15, 2021
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The Bark – VPSL Column | November 15, 2021
Happy Monday, Students!
Welcome to week 12. I am sure many of you are anxious to get to the holiday break and perhaps visit with family and friends as well as take a break from your studies. The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner and soon after, the long winter break which begins on December 16th through January 17th. We are so close!
A number of you have expressed to me your increasing concern and anxiety about the number of COVID cases on and off campus. While this anxiety and worry is understandable, as a community our cases of COVID-19 remain relatively low. On October 26th, we sent you a detailed explanation of how we are currently doing. Here is an excerpt from that announcement:
How many Covid-19 cases have there been at Lewis & Clark since the beginning of fall semester–and what impact are they having on the college’s ability to continue to provide educational services?
A total of fifty-two Lewis & Clark students, faculty, staff and contractors have tested positive for COVID-19 so far this semester. We have conducted careful contact tracing on every one of these cases, and close contacts have been tested per CDC recommendations. We have yet to identify any cases of transmission of COVID-19 in the classroom–or as the result of brief, casual contact–based on this contact tracing. In fact, it has been rare for any vaccinated community member identified as a close contact, and therefore theoretically exposed to the virus, to subsequently test positive for the virus.
So, although we have had some cases, as long as we all continue to follow best practices and intentional health mitigation efforts, our case counts should remain low. If anything changes, or if additional risk factors arise, we will be sure to let you know.
Here is the latest regarding positive COVID cases:
- COVID-19 cases: Of the 164 community members tested so far in November there have been 0 positive on-campus and 6 positive off-campus cases. This includes undergrad, graduate, Law and outside vendors), which equates to a positivity rate of 0.0%.
Remember to continue filling out the SCARF form in the Health Information Portal if you experience any COVID-like symptoms. Thank you for keeping our community healthy and safe.
WeB4Me@LC.
Warmly,
Robin H. Holmes-Sullivan
Vice President for Student Life
Lewis & Clark College
