Buffalo, NY (WBEN) UB reports 40 active on-campus COVID19 cases, including 38 students and two employees. Surveillance testing also begins today.
UB’s 40 on-campus cases would count toward the 100 metric, not UB’s cumulative total of 78 active cases, which includes students taking courses fully remotely and living off campus. If the total number of on-campus cases reaches 100, UB as well as other schools must transition all in-person learning to remote.
Just two students living in the residence halls have tested positive for the virus since students began moving into the residence halls on Aug. 20. Thirty-six students living off-campus, and registered for some in-person instruction, have tested positive. All of these students have been contacted by UB and were informed not to attend classes for any reason while in isolation. All students were also asked whether or not they had been on campus this semester.Two university employees have tested positive and are isolating at home. These three cohorts (36, 2, 2) count towards the 100 metric. 38 additional students residing off-campus and not taking any in-person classes have active cases of the virus. This cohort is not factored into the 100 metric.
UB adds it began randomized surveillance testing of students residing on campus, and says "it is hopeful that this testing, along with strict adherence to the university’s health guidelines, will curb potential outbreaks going forward." UB’s testing is taking place in partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical Center, with multiple rounds of scheduled randomized testing to take place at regular intervals. In addition to on-campus residential students, the university plans to test students who live in the Buffalo area and whose only participation with the university community is taking in-person classes during the fall semester, and UB faculty and staff.
SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras Statement on University at Buffalo COVID Cases:
“I commend President Tripathi for moving quickly in responding to the COVID cases on campus by accelerating the launch of SUNY Upstate Medical’s aggressive pooled surveillance testing program that can frequently test students, staff, and faculty on campus. This action along with the steps they’ve already taken to reduce density on campus and many of their students being fully remote, the campus has continuously acted swiftly to protect their community. While a portion of their total positive COVID cases are on campus and the rest reside off campus with the majority of them fully online, we will remain vigilant and continue to provide every resource available to the University at Buffalo to ensure this virus is contained and the campus community is protected.”
Malatras today announced that all SUNY colleges and universities will implement a testing program to continually detect COVID-19 cases on campuses. The recently approved surveillance testing advancements at Upstate Medical University, as well as the University at Albany, makes 100 percent testing capacity possible for every student on campus every two weeks. This new requirement will ensure that all SUNY students, faculty, and staff on campus are tested regularly, which helps college and university leadership and their local public health officials identify, trace, and contain the virus quickly.
“Safely reopening colleges by containing COVID-19 so our students can have academic success is our top priority, and by launching immediate surveillance testing on every campus, we are giving ourselves the best shot to identify the presence of this virus before it can spread further across a campus, possibly infecting hundreds of students, and forcing us to roll back the in-person offerings so many of our students find critical,” says Malatras. “By installing regular surveillance testing of our on-campus population, we will be able to much better identify non-symptomatic carriers who otherwise may not have known to get tested. We will be able to greatly expand our testing capacity because of the brilliant scientists at Upstate Medical University and their partners at Quadrant Biosciences and the University at Albany’s RNA Institute whose research and innovation has greatly expanded our system-wide testing capacity and made pooled surveillance testing on every campus a reality. The impact of their work is a testament to the true greatness that exists within this university system. I thank all of our college presidents for their leadership in getting this done.”