Dear Colleagues,
We are beginning to receive questions from faculty about what they should do if they learn of a possible case of COVID-19 among their students or others. Please direct them to the following information, which is being added to the www.covid19.illinois.edu website’s FAQ section.
Q: Someone affiliated with the university reported to me that they have been diagnosed with COVID-19, to whom should I forward this information?
A: The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is informed by local healthcare organizations immediately when anyone in Champaign County receives a positive result to a COVID-19 test, so there is no need to inform CUPHD about a person who was tested and diagnosed here. However, if you learn of someone with a university connection (a student, staff, faculty member, visiting scholar, etc.) who has tested positive in another county, please instruct the person to call CUPHD immediately at (217) 352-7961 to ensure that any local contacts are identified, alerted and given appropriate support. All public health districts are required to trace the contacts for anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, but notifying CUPHD will help ensure that cases with a connection to our community are properly addressed.
Thank you for your continued leadership during this situation.
Sincerely,
Andreas C. Cangellaris
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost