Dear Campus Community,
I am writing today to update the community on COVID-19. The first case of the virus at Lafayette College was confirmed today. The College is following protocols for testing, isolating, and contact tracing on campus. We have been in contact with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to coordinate our actions. The student who tested positive has been living off campus for the past two weeks and has had very limited contact with any individuals on campus. The individual is doing well and we wish the student a full and rapid recovery.
Students who have been in close contact with the individual who tested positive have been identified and they will transition to off-campus, College-owned housing for two weeks, which is the upper range of the incubation period for COVID-19. There were no employees on campus who had close contact with the student, defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as being within six feet for a period of at least 10 minutes.
Positive cases on our campus further underscore the importance of continued vigilance in adhering to the protocols which have been widely disseminated. I will continue to keep the campus updated with any new information that becomes available.
Stay well.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Goldstein, MD
Director of Health Services