Two students in University Housing have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as one campus employee.
By Taylor Helmes, Managing Editor
Two students living in student housing and a university employee who had been on campus the past two weeks have tested positive for COVID-19.
The first case was announced Wednesday in an email to the campus community by CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. The second two were just announced by campus Police Chief Carlos Velez. In an email at 7:18 p.m., Velez wrote:
“The university has been informed of two new COVID-19 positive tests among members of our campus community. This timely warning notice is being sent because both individuals were recently on campus.
“A second student from University Housing has tested positive. This person was the individual previously identified as having come in close contact to the student who tested positive earlier this week. They began self-quarantining off-campus as soon as they learned of possible exposure and did not come in contact with any other individuals on campus.
“The other case involves a university employee who had been on campus three non-consecutive days during the past two weeks. During the time they were at work, they followed public health guidelines related to face and hand coverings and physical distancing. They were not deemed to have been in close contact, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
On Wednesday, Parham announced via email the first student who tested positive. Parham said the student most likely contracted it at a gathering off-campus over the previous weekend.
In Parham’s statement, he said only one other student has been in contact with them and no other University Housing faculty or students were exposed. The other student was self-quarantining.
“I know you join me in wishing this individual a full recovery,” Parham wrote. “As the region is experiencing an increase in cases, I encourage the campus community to continue following the recommended preventative strategies to reduce the risk of infection, such as physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and practicing good hygiene. Most importantly, I urge everyone to pay attention to their health”
The identity of the students and staff member were withheld, but if you or someone close to you believes there was a possibility of exposure, get tested. Or if you’ve been protesting, at a large gathering, or traveled lately, still get tested. CSUDH’s Health Center website has additional information and sources to learn more about COVID-19, testing sites, and FAQ’s.
