Griffo to SUNY Chancellor: Take action to prevent community spread

Following today’s announcement that SUNY Oneonta will close its campus for the semester due to rising COVID-19 cases, state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-I-C-Rome, is calling upon SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras to take immediate action to prevent further community spread of the virus.

“Early outbreaks of COVID-19 on SUNY campuses have highlighted the need for a system-wide policy on how to contend with the coronavirus pandemic,” Sen. Griffo said. “A campus-by-campus approach is ill-suited to the safety of communities throughout New York. Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 should not be sent home to risk community spread. Instead, they should be able to quarantine in place or where they are residing until they test negative.”

Sen. Griffo is also asking the Governor and state Department of Health to intervene immediately.

“I am hopeful that the state has learned from its past mistake of sending COVID-positive cases to nursing homes,” Sen. Griffo said. “It is imperative that SUNY, as well as New York State, expedite a policy to ensure that no COVID-19 positive students are returned to their home community to limit the potential for further spread of the virus.”