LOCAL COVID CASES SPIKE
9 New Infections:
5 SUNY Students,
4 High-Schoolers
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA – Nine new COVID-19 cases surfaced locally today, the county Department of Health reported at 5:35 this evening.
Five were SUNY Oneonta students, bringing the total to date to seven, all living off-campus.
The other four cases came out of a gathering of students from the same high school, but county Public Health Director Heidi Bond said she’s not ready today to name the school. If more cases occur, she may do so to heighten the community’s awareness of the need for vigilance.
There are now 15 active cases in Otsego County overall, up from four a week ago.
“From what I understand,” Bond said of the new SUNY infections, “there was a party off-campus with college students. This seems to possibly be an exposure from that party.”
She added, “I think it’s important for people to understand: Even though colleges are opening up and schools are opening up, we still shouldn’t be hanging out with our friends the way we want to.”
SUNY is cooperating with the county Health Department, which has deployed its “tracers” to find who may have come into contact with the infected students, Bond said.
Responding to today’s news, Mayor Gary Herzig said, “Saturday night was not a good night. We had a large number of house parties taking place in the city. We were very disappointed about that. Our police were very, very busy dispersing parties.”
Not only were there “many parties, some small, some large,” Herzig said, “There were many students congregating on the street Saturday night.”
Six minutes before the health department, SUNY Oneonta released a statement, saying the seven students live off-campus and are “isolating” off-campus.
“The college is working to determine whether the students have been on campus and will perform extra cleaning of any spaces where the students have spent time, consistent with guidance from the New York State Department of Health,” the statement said.
It quoted President Barbara Jean Morris saying the college has increased the frequency of waste-water testing on campus, and there has been “no quantifiable level of COVID-19” from the on-campus testing.
The problem to date is all off-campus.
So far, Morris and Herzig have not met to strategize on the developing situation. He spoke with her Sunday, the mayor said, but she asked him to work through a “control group” of students, faculty and staff, and well as city officials, which has not met and will not until Monday.
“With six cases,” Herzig said a few minutes ago, “I don’t think there’s a cause for panic; I don’t think there’s a cause for alarm. It’s a wake-up call. We need to speak with one voice. We need to make it clear we need to restrict the normal social activities we all like to participate in.”
He said he’s sure “the overwhelming majority” of college students are acting responsibility, “but if only 10 percent don’t, that’s enough to cause a big problem for everyone.”
“Strict enforcement is not a negative thing,” he said. Strict enforcement right now is caring. Strict enforcement is love. Strict enforcement is keeping everyone healthy.”
Mr. mayor there were many students congregating on the streets Saturday. Most were at YOUR survive then thrive event!
which closed Main Street. Will you take any responsibility?
The mayor has taken this issue seriously from the get-go. He, the OPD, and our healthcare providers need support and should not have to bear this burden alone. The cooperation of President Morris is essential to establishing safety measures that will mitigate off campus spread of the virus. As of now, SUNY’s safety policies stop at the campus borders. Collectively, we can turn the situation around, but only if the leadership at Oneonta State is willing to prioritize community safety, promulgate a unified and positive attitude among the student population, and take more effective measures to curb viral transmission.