September 25, 2020
To the William Paterson community:
Unfortunately, five cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed on our campus this week. These cases have been included today on our COVID-19 Campus Dashboard. Four of the positive cases are residential students, and at least three of these cases are believed to be related. In addition, one employee has tested positive; that case is unrelated to the student cases. All five individuals are under isolation off campus, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery. Federal health privacy rules prohibit us from sharing any additional details about these cases.
Based on our established health and safety protocols and guidance from the CDC and the New Jersey Department of Public Health, our Passaic County health officials have been contacting anyone with direct exposure to these individuals and are providing additional guidance. Anyone with risk for exposure as determined by our health officials is being contacted.
The University has undertaken appropriate cleaning and sanitation protocols related to these cases.
Please remember that COVID is spread primarily through close person-to-person contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
To reduce the risk of transmission, we urge all members of the campus community to do the following:
• Wear a face covering and practice social distancing
• Do your daily campus health screening
• Report any symptoms or suspected exposure to COVID-19
• Stay home if you are not feeling well
I want to reiterate the risk of large social gatherings, whether on or off-campus, and the critical importance of following the health and safety protocols that have been identified to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
Regards,
Dr. Jill Guzman
Director, Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center
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