Students of the State University of New York (SUNY) are required to test negative for COVID-19 before they are allowed to leave campus for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, according to a new university policy that aims to “help prevent community spread as students return to their hometowns.”
The policy was issued by State University Chancellor Jim Malatras on Tuesday. The order requires the 64 colleges and universities in the public university system to come up with plans to test nearly 140,000 students by November 5.
Students who are taking at least one class on campus, working on campus, or using any on-campus services or facilities such as the library or gym are included in the order. Malatras also recommended testing for faculty and staff.
SUNY continues to track COVID-19 cases on their campuses, as they estimate nearly 3,150 positive test results for students and staff over the fall semester. Approximately 270,000 tests have been administered, yielding 1,400 new cases throughout 61 colleges and universities in the SUNY system.
Outbreak at Oneonta
The SUNY Oneonta campus had an outbreak of 700 coronavirus cases during its fall opening. Many considered this a result of the school’s decision not to test students before the semester started. Students were witnessed at parties and the backlash may have led to the resignation of their president.
As Malatras stated, “A small party can lead to a big problem.” The chancellor has implemented stricter social distancing protocols across all campuses to avert major spikes in positive cases.
Testing, Remote Classes as COVID-19 Response
In Western New York, SUNY Geneseo strictly forbade students from re-entering its campus without a negative COVID-19 test from 7 to 14 days prior to their arrival. The university has reported only 48 cases since the start of the fall semester.
Today's @SUNY numbers:
➡️Nearly 280k campus-administered tests since the start of the semester.
➡️0.51% have been positive.
➡️0.25% have been positive over the past 3-days.
Keep it up, @SUNY! pic.twitter.com/6qRLa85UWD
— Jim Malatras (@jimmalatras) October 28, 2020
The success of SUNY Geneseo in containing the spread of the coronavirus may have prompted the adoption of this policy for all SUNY campuses. There are also plans for all campuses to revert to remote classes after the Thanksgiving break. SUNY Oneonta had already imposed this measure after the outbreak on its campus.
Possible Opposition to Mandatory Testing
While there are precedents to support mandatory testing, there may also be resistance. In Massachusetts, there were protests after Governor Charlie Baker issued the unprecedented measure of requiring the flu vaccine for students at all levels throughout the state.
Many are still opposed to any mandatory vaccinations or testing despite regulations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mandated throughout the US.
