A spike in COVID-19 cases is being observed among students at the University at Albany.
In a campus-wide email Thursday night, UAlbany President Havidan Rodriguez said that, if not addressed immediately, the rise in cases could result in the suspension of in-person activities, including teaching. As of Thursday, 40 positive cases were confirmed among students since the beginning of the semester — 31 of them reported in the previous 24 hours.
Clusters were identified in athletics and off-campus housing in Albany's Pine Hills neighborhood, but are reportedly not isolated to those students.
Colleges across country have experienced spikes in COVID-19 since reopening for the fall, with many of the outbreaks tied to student parties. The largest college outbreak in New York so far has been at SUNY Oneonta, where 696 students have tested positive for the virus. SUNY Oneonta largely sent students home last weekend after moving to cease in-person learning for the rest of the semester. The college reported no new cases Thursday.
In Loudonville, private Siena College sent some students home this week for attending an unauthorized gathering over the weekend. College President Chris Gibson tells WNYTthat the group of less than 20 students will continue their semester online until further notice.
