Walker announces COVID-19 active case numbers
Photo by Senior Photographer Morgan Kiehl
As of Jan. 20, there are 66 active cases of COVID-19 with 142 students in self-isolation or quarantine, 115 of which are staying off-campus, according to President Mark Walker.
On Friday, Jan. 21, Director of Communications Brian Conn contacted the Lee student body via email to report campus COVID-19 numbers from Walker.
“As I told you last week, we are still optimistic that we can proceed safely. National trends are showing a decline in areas hit first by the Omicron variant. Even with our cases on campus, we don’t expect to add protocols to those in use right now,” said Walker.
According to the New York Times, approximately 256 cases per day are reported in Bradley County. This is a 137% increase from the average two weeks ago. The numbers of hospitalized patients and deaths in Bradley County have also risen, according to the NYT.
“So far, January has been the month with the highest average cases in Bradley County,” reports the NYT.
The NYT relies on data reports from the state as well as health districts or county governments. The Tennessee Department of Health releases new county data once a week.
“We care deeply that all of our students and staff have a safe place to study and work and that we can get as close to the full Lee experience as we can under the circumstances,” said Walker. “...we do expect this to dissipate in the near future. We know that you will have an impact on that based on continued vigilance in your daily activities in the coming days.”
To find a local testing site, visit the Lee Clarion resources page. Any questions or concerns related to Lee University’s COVID-19 protocols can be directed to studentfeedback@leeuniversity.edu.
