ALISA OPPENHEIMER
News Editor
This week in COVID, we have had a recent increase in our total number of positive cases.
According to Fredonia’s COVID-19 Dashboard, from Monday, Oct. 26, to Friday, Oct. 30, there were a total of 1,345 campus-administered tests.
Out of those tests, there were 11 positive cases.
In the weeks prior, Fredonia has witnessed results as low as two positive cases out of 1,529 tests.
Eleven positive cases within the span of only a week can be concerning for our campus-community.
On Monday, Oct. 26, students were made aware via email that a member of the Athletics Department tested positive.
This staff member worked closely with student athletes.
Therefore, the Health Department verified all student athletes who had contact with the staff member on certain dates leading up to their positive test result.
Those students who maintained their distance and wore facial coverings were not required to quarantine, but were asked to closely monitor their health for the time being.
Fredonia also suspended all in-person athletic activities that day.
This included all team practices and independent activities.
In the email sent to all members of the campus-community, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services, Cedric Howard, discussed the reasoning behind this decision.
“The vast majority of our teams and athletes are remaining safe and healthy,” said Howard.
“Unfortunately, as we have seen with this virus, a small ember can grow into an inferno quickly. We must do everything we can to prevent that from happening.”
In response to the situation as a whole, Jerry Fisk, Director of Athletics, said, “Blue Devil Athletics put strict guidelines in place to keep everyone safe. This is an example of exactly why those protocols were established and enforced. By following the guidance, student athletes greatly reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.”
It should also be noted that SUNYAC recently announced the cancellation of all winter sports due to the pandemic.
Although games will not be in play, all athletes are allowed to continue practices, but are required to adhere to social distancing and health and safety guidelines.
According to SUNYAC, the possibility of spring sports is still up for debate.
Students will be informed of that on a date closer to the season.
When it comes to pool testing, under guidance of the Health Department, Fredonia continues to change their system for testing.
In his weekly Thursday update, President Kolison announced the recent additional guidance our Health Center received by SUNY regarding how students should obtain their pool test results.
Students will no longer receive emails stating whether they are positive or negative.
If a test was negative, the email will say “presumed negative,” and if a test was positive, students would be contacted via phone call from the Fredonia Health Center.
The campus-community should remain vigilant and take all precautions necessary to avoid the spread of COVID.
Both faculty and students should stay updated on all campus messages and notifications in order to remain aware of what is going on.
For more information regarding COVID-19 on our campus, students can utilize the following resources: