UAlbany COVID outbreak could impact students' Thanksgiving plans
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- University at Albany announced 46 presumed positive COVID-19 cases from its surveillance testing analysis. With the semester winding down, there’s a possibility students could miss Thanksgiving due to a policy to prevent community spread.
“If you test positive right before going home then you have to quarantine here, and then you won’t be able to see your family for Thanksgiving,” said Freshman Jocelyn Pastrana
Students are required to stay in isolation on campus for 10 days if they test positive. They're not allowed to go home for semester break until after they test negative.
“My dad just had surgery. My brother, he has, like, lung problems. So, it would be bad if I caught it and brought it home to them," Pastrana said.
The number of confirmed cases could be higher as data comes in. The surveillance testing is an early warning system that allows the university to take action before confirmed results come in, a process which takes longer.
To curb a potential spread of the virus, the university is adding addition safety measures. No off-campus visitors are allowed, students aren’t allowed to visit other student’s dorm rooms, and there are no informal meetings of more than nine people allowed.
“The only problem I see is that a lot of students have not been following through with the plans to have those tests done,” said Sophmore Fatima Syed.
Syed believes the university has done a good job in keeping COVID cases down. Though, she doesn’t have the same faith in the student body.
“I understand that it can be hard, you know, maybe when your friends don’t do it, so what’s your incentive?” Syed said.
University Spokesman Jordan Carleo-Evangelist disagreed with the idea students will skip the university’s testing and isolation measure.
“I can’t imagine that our students avail themselves of every opportunity to get tested and make sure that they are healthy before going home because no one want to make their families sick,” Carleo-Evangelist said.
If students don’t follow the rules there are repercussions.
“If you continue to not follow, not to participate, in the testing then you will be removed from housing. Consequences could range from deactivation from your ID card, you could have your courses removed to remote instruction,” Carleo-Evangelist said.
The positivity rate at UAlbany has been about .06 percent since September 1.