SUNY Oneonta brings back mask mandate
May 9—SUNY Oneonta has reinstated mask requirements for the rest of the semester in response to rising COVID case numbers on campus and in the community.
There have been 426 positive cases at SUNY Oneonta in May, 83% of them students, according to the SUNY system COVID dashboard. The Otsego County Department of Health reported 280 new cases during the first week of May — lower than the campus count because it only includes county residents.
"We are experiencing an uptick in both the student and employee populations. Currently, there are 33 students and 34 employees in isolation," said a May 5 letter sent to all students and staff by college president Alberto Cardelle and the leaders of the campus COVID Response Team. "The CDC indicates that Otsego County's community level of COVID is currently in the yellow zone/medium level."
The temporary mandate went into effect May 6 and will continue until May 20. It requires that masks be worn in all indoor settings on campus except in a few specific situations: when eating and drinking while seated, while working at office workstations and socially distanced, and for students in their own residence hall rooms. Eating and drinking in instructional spaces has been prohibited for the period.
While all audience members at indoor events will need to be masked, the policy exempts "performers or speakers who are fully boosted or have tested negative within the past three days."
SUNY Oneonta commencement ceremonies are scheduled for May 21. A decision about masking at commencement will be made after a re-evaluation of the situation, and will be communicated the week of May 16, the letter said.
Students and staff were also encouraged to take advantage of the warm weather to eat, take breaks and hold meetings outdoors. Cases of strep throat and flu have also been present on campus recently, according to the letter.
"Taking this small step together will not only help keep one another safe and healthy, but help maintain continuity in campus operations and functions so we can successfully complete the semester. Please continue to test regularly and report it to the college if you test positive. We know this is not the ideal scenario, but we want everyone to be healthy and well for the last two weeks of the academic year," the letter concluded.
Hartwick College and the Oneonta City School District have not announced any plans to require masks at this time. After announcing a one-week surge in cases last week, Hartwick College reported nine active COVID cases May 9 among those living or working on campus. However, Hartwick does continue to require masks for large events, including commencement on May 21, Media Relations Manager David Lubell said Monday.
Oneonta school Superintendent Tom Brindley said the district is working closely with the Department of Health and monitoring the situation. "At this point there is no plan for a mandate. Masks are still strongly recommended but optional," he said during a phone call May 9.
Mike Forster Rothbart, staff writer, can be reached at mforsterrothbart@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7213. Follow him at @DS_MikeFR on Twitter.
