ALBANY — The University at Albany says it has been notified by local health officials of a “very concerning” spike in COVID-19 cases among students.
The Albany County Department of Health notified the university Thursday evening of the spike, which includes 40 positive cases among students since the start of the semester — 31 of which were reported to the department in the last 24 hours, according to a tweet sent by the university at 8:46 p.m.
If the increase is not addressed immediately, it could result in suspension of all in-person activities on campus, including teaching, the university wrote in a lengthy Twitter thread.
Clusters have been identified within the Athletics department and in off-campus student housing in the Pine Hills neighborhoods, though are not isolated to these students, UAlbany wrote.
Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy’s COVID-19 update at 9:30 a.m. Friday will include an appearance by UAlbany President Havidan Rodriguez and county Health Department Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen.
“We are working diligently with our partners at (the county Health Department) to isolate and quarantine impacted students, but it is essential that all students continue to follow state and University public health directives,” the school’s thread stated.
Those include wearing a mask in public at all times, maintaining six feet of physical distance, frequent hand-washing, and avoiding large gatherings.
“We are all responsible for ensuring the health and safety of our campus community,” the thread continued. “As such, we are all required to cooperate with the directives of local public health officials.”
Violations of these directives — including failure to immediately respond to university or county health department inquiries or failure to isolate and quarantine — will result in severe consequences up to and including suspension or dismissal, the university warned.
Any students who wish to be tested for COVID-19 should contact Student Health Services at 518-442-5454 to schedule a test on campus. Concerned employees can make an appointment at the state test site on campus by calling 888-364-3065.
“We need to work together as a community, and we must all adhere to our pledge and responsibility to protect the health of those around us,” the thread finished. “We sincerely appreciate your vigilance and commitment to the collective health of our campus community. The actions we take over the next few days will determine the course of the rest of our semester.”
Albany County announced 12 new cases in the county overnight earlier in the day Thursday, but made no mention of any cases at the university.
This is the first known spike in cases associated with the resumption of college classes in the Capital Region and one of the largest clusters in the region to date. A single party held over Fourth of July weekend on Albany’s Hudson Avenue was responsible for at least 47 cases in Albany County alone. That party was hosted by college-age adults and attracted over 200 people, local officials said.
Source link