3 SUNY New Paltz Students Test Positive For Coronavirus

NEW PALTZ, NY — An on-campus New Paltz student who participated in a couple of pickup basketball games has tested positive for the new coronavirus. Two students who came into contact with that student have, in turn, tested positive for the virus themselves, and others are in quarantine.

School officials said the first student who participated in the two games on Aug. 24 and Wednesday was reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus. The student was not wearing a mask during the games, which is allowed by the state sports and recreation guidelines, but is not allow by SUNY New Paltz guidelines.

The two most recent students to test positive were known to be in close contact with the first student.

Twelve other students who were involved in the two basketball games have been tested.

The Student Health Service will monitor their heath, and they will remain in quarantine until cleared by the health service, which is usually 14 days post-exposure or 10 days from the onset of symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Contact tracers have already been deployed to interview the students, asking where they have been and with whom they have been in contact.

The contact tracers will notify other people as appropriate and will also notify the school's facilities management if a student has been in common spaces on campus within the last seven days.

All faculty members who are teaching courses in which students testing positive for the virus are enrolled will be notified, whether those courses are in-person, remote or hybrid.

Students and instructors who share in-person courses, if any, with those who test positive will be notified but will not be required to quarantine unless contact tracers confirm that they have been in close contact with the student without wearing a mask, for 10 minutes or more within 6 feet.

Per state requirements, the Student Health Service notified state and local health departments.

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