COVID-19 Updates, from The Bark
Dear Students,
As we are near the end of fall semester and look towards spring, it’s important to reflect on what has happened over the past 14 weeks. Entering the 2022–23 academic year, many factors guided the development of the COVID-19 policies for our community, including the nature of the virus; national, state, and county guidelines; space and resources available on campus; and other higher education institutional guidelines. Thanks to each individual’s care for this community, the institution saw half as many COVID-19 cases this fall compared to the spring 2022 semester! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you and your continued efforts to support Lewis & Clark offering the in-person instruction and activities that are the hallmark of a Lewis & Clark education.
Looking forward, finals and winter break are rapidly approaching. We hope and encourage you to find pockets of self-care through this final push. The end of the semester also means that the majority of you will be embarking on some form of travel. We encourage you to continue to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and test if you become symptomatic. Over the break, please continue to practice strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as using good hand hygiene, wearing masks in public places, and limiting crowd interaction whenever possible. If you are remaining on campus over the break, please complete the Student Positive COVID Test (PCT) Form if you test positive.
If you haven’t done so already, we encourage you to stay fully up-to-date with your COVID vaccines by receiving all booster doses recommended for your age group by the CDC. Vaccinations remain the leading prevention strategy to protect individuals from COVID-19 infection and decrease the severity of illness. Updated COVID-19 boosters help restore protection that has decreased since previous vaccination and provide broader protection against recent variants. You are eligible for the bivalent booster two months after any initial vaccine series or two months after a previous booster. Please refer to the CDC guidance for more information on booster eligibility and here to find a vaccination site near you.
If you are a resident staying over the winter break, please go to this link for specific information on what to do if you test positive for COVID-19. As we start the new spring semester, our first Bark issue in January will have more COVID-19 updated information for students so be on the lookout as you prepare to return from your holiday break.
Again, thank you for all of your ongoing efforts to protect yourselves and others against COVID-19. We remain incredibly proud of how this community has come together over these last two and a half years. Working together, we will successfully navigate any new challenges that may arise in the upcoming semester. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact covid19info@lclark.edu.
