Coronavirus

Whenever a residence hall has shown the presence of the virus, we have followed up with a precautionary quarantine or “restricted movement” to limit residential students from potentially spreading the virus until we have had an opportunity to conduct pooled saliva testing and have those results returned.

Dear members of the campus community, Last night, the campus received an update about results from this week’s COVID-19 testing efforts. It is a reminder how quickly a situation can change, and the responsibility each of us has to create and maintain a safer campus environment.

We have some initial results from this week’s wastewater and pooled saliva testing for COVID-19. Thursday afternoon, we received wastewater testing results from samples taken Tuesday, Oct. 13. Quantifiable levels were detected in Commons 1, Commons 2 and West Hall residence halls (the central plant samples showed the same).

We have received the most recent results of wastewater testing in Oneida Hall, samples taken Thursday, Oct. 8, in which COVID-19 has been detected at a significant level.  All residents of Oneida Hall must precautionarily quarantine in their rooms, effective immediately.

As SUNY Morrisville experiences its first increase in positive cases of COVID-19, it is helpful to review how testing, quarantine, isolation and contact tracing are connected, and how local health authorities are involved for everyone’s health and safety. 

With our first known positive cases on campus, as well as pending reflex testing on positive pooled saliva tests and detected virus levels in the wastewater, it is necessary to take the following steps:

Initial pooled saliva testing results from samples taken Monday and Tuesday, Oct.5 and 6, have been received today. Two of the pools – one of students, one of employees – came back positive. Both pools have been submitted for follow-up testing of the individual samples within the pools (reflex testing). As a reminder, each pool can contain up to 12 individual samples. As a precaution, employees within the positive pool have been advised to remain off campus until reflex test results are received, identifying the individual(s) who might be positive and require isolation.

SUNY Morrisville has its first known positive cases of COVID-19 among residential students. News of each student’s diagnosis was received today. Contact tracing is underway, led by the Madison County Department of Health.  

Dear Campus Community, Three weeks ago, we announced an extended pause on campus visitors, effective until Monday, Oct. 5. Following our latest review, in addition to the daily monitoring of COVID-19 cases (no positive cases reported for residential students, faculty and staff as of today), we have revised the policy to now allow some visitation in residence halls.

Results from Monday’s pooled saliva testing of West Hall residents have come back negative. The precautionary quarantine has been lifted. A few residents chose to go home before the tests and have been informed that they will need to provide a negative test result before returning to campus, or precautionarily move into South Hall (our designated quarantine and isolation facility) until they are tested and results come back negative.