ALISA OPPENHEIMER
News Editor
Throughout the past few weeks, we have seen various changes made to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on our campus.
In the beginning of the semester, we had a huge rise in numbers of positive COVID cases, to the point where everyone in our campus-community was concerned.
Due to this, our school worked in coordination with SUNY to make specific changes including alterations to our dashboard, the addition of 14-day periods, improved communication to students and faculty and most importantly, an increase in the number of randomly-selected students for weekly pool tests.
Last week, President Kolison mainly discussed the recent outcome of on-campus pool testing in his weekly Thursday email update in regard to our COVID status.
“Three hundred and twenty-four tests were conducted last Friday at Steele Hall, and they all came back negative,” Kolison wrote.
“Our positivity rate from pool testing based on a grand total of 797 pool tests and 2 positive cases — is now under one percent.”
This was as of Thursday, Oct. 1.
Since then, the results of more recent tests have come back, to which the outcome was also a good one.
On the morning of Monday, Oct. 5, the campus-community received another email regarding the most recent testing results from Enrollment and Student Services.
It said: “Your collective efforts to be #FREDstrong continues to pay dividends. This past Friday, 357 students were involved in the latest round of pool testing conducted in Steele Hall. There were zero positive cases.”
Although this information may seem like a bright light at the end of a long tunnel, many have still questioned testing protocol and how the data is being collected.
While there have now been many adjustments to Fredonia’s pool testing system, psychology professor Darrin Rogers recalls some concerns he had prior to these changes.
“The pool testing was, at that time, in small numbers, and with lots of no-shows; the Office of Institutional Research… was tasked with drawing random samples of students for testing… but quite a number of those students didn’t show up during the first round or two of pool testing,” said Rogers.
“That means the percentages of positive cases found from the students who did show up and get tested should not be taken as a good estimate of the percentage of the whole student population who have a positive case of COVID-19.”
More recently, the school has announced that there will be a large increase in the number of students randomly selected each week, as well as more enforced repercussions for students who fail to comply.
With that, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced on Sept. 28 the updated standards for violating any COVID guidelines.
The policy was put in effect on Thursday, Oct. 1.
According to our COVID dashboard, we currently have a total of 21 positive cases to date in the 14-day period of Sept. 26 to Oct. 9.
Though it might seem like we’re reaching the end, it’s important that we are all still following guidelines in order to avoid a repeat of the beginning of our semester.
“Students, it is comforting and inspiring to know your academic success is important enough that you are willing to make these temporary sacrifices to keep us opened,” said President Kolison.
To keep our numbers from increasing, all of the necessary steps in preventing this pandemic from shutting us down must still be implemented into our everyday routines.
For more information regarding COVID-19 on our campus, students can utilize the following resources: