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LOCK HAVEN -- On Tuesday, it was two. Wednesday the number of Lock Haven University students and/or employees testing positive for COVID-19 had jumped to three.
Those are the results of the first round of asymptomatic testing at Lock Haven University.
Testing began last Thursday and results of those 706 students living on or off campus and taking face-to-face courses along with employees who chose to be tested were completed on Wednesday, showing three results positive and the remainder negative, according to Lock Haven University President Robert Pignatello.
The results, three positive tests, is a positivity rate of 00.43%, Pignatello said. A positivity rate of 5.0% is the benchmark for high risk of community spread, he said.
"So, this far we are pleased with these results," he said.
When two positive cases were reported on Tuesday, the two students were notified and were isolating off campus, according to Pignatello.
"They were instructed to return home to seek medical treatment from their primary care physician. The university is identifying and contacting those who may have been in contact with these individuals and all areas of campus where the individuals had visited have been sanitized using enhanced cleaning protocols," he continued.
For privacy reasons, LHU is not releasing further details regarding the identity of the students. The university will continue to monitor COVID-19 at LHU and collaborate and coordinate with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and local health agencies and providers, Pignatello said.
There are 283 students living on campus, another 260 in Evergreen Commons and the remainder in private housing for a total of about 800, Pignatello said. He added that about 85 percent of the classes are being taken remotely.
The university is urging students and staff to continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings and wash hands often to prevent the virus from spreading.
They are mandated to wear masks in all classes and campus buildings.
"Each of us must maintain our vigilance and exercise sound practices and behavior on and off campus in order for us to continue to prevent the spread of COVID in our community," Pignatello said.
"The university will continue its surveillance of the virus through additional testing of up to 20% of the populations first tested next week. And then, another time when everyone returns from the Labor Day weekend.
"I am convinced that our testing program is helping to keep us safer. I thank our COVID Coordinator Dr. Beth McMahon and the COVID Institutional Response team for their diligence in managing our testing and contact tracing protocols and for keeping us so well informed," Pignatello said.
Meanwhile, Lock Haven University is recording COVID-19 testing and results on the LHU dashboard which can be seen at http://www.lockhaven.edu/Covid19Dashboard/ and is updated daily at 9 a.m.