SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Just days before the Thanksgiving holiday, New York's university system says it's completed mandatory COVID-19 testing of all on-campus students across the state.
Between November 9 and November 23, 152,788 tests were conducted with a positivity rate of just 0.63 percent. SUNY Upstate Medical University is expected to process any remaining tests this week. Currently 800 students are in isolation or quarantine on campus.
SUNY Chancellor James Malatras praised students for keeping COVID rates low during the Fall semester. “Over just a two-week window, SUNY colleges and universities rose to this extraordinary challenge and completed the COVID exit testing—an enormous, unprecedented effort that will prevent the spread of the virus over the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Chancellor Jim Malatras. “Our 0.63 percent exit testing positivity rate once again reinforces that even as COVID-19 surges elsewhere, our students are predominantly doing the right thing: social distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding large gatherings. This has been a tremendous team effort. Campuses are working in tandem with their local health departments to ensure that COVID positive students are quarantining safely either on campus, off campus, or at home. For those students who are unable to isolate or quarantine at home and remain on campus, my team and I at SUNY system and campus leadership will do everything in our power to make them feel at home over the holiday. We are one SUNY family, and we are all in this together. We will continue to keep each other safe and finish the fall semester strong.”
Since the start of the Falls semester, 535,439 COVID tests have been given at SUNY colleges and universities with a positivity rate of 0.52 percent.
All students, whether living or working, attending classes or using campus facilities must test for COVID before returning for the Winter or Spring semesters. They must also confirm they've completed a mandatory seven-day precautionary quarantine before returning to campus. If they have not had a test within three days of returning, they must submit to a campus administered test within five days of arrival.
All schools must continue to report positive cases daily via SUNY's COVID-19 Case Tracker. You can read more about SUNY's plans for the Winter and Spring semesters, which are subject to change, here.
