ONEONTA, N.Y. -- Testing continues at SUNY Oneonta as the number of students who tested positive for the virus has passed 170. City Mayor Gary Herzig calls this outbreak a wake-up call for everyone.
"This has been a wake-up call. We hear how parties can transfer the virus so quickly and so easily. But we all have a tendency to think that it won't happen here," said Herzig.
Because of the outbreak, the campus has shut down and gone completely remote. Before opening the school, President Barabra Morris said this situation is what the school was prepared for.
"So our faculty have transitioned their courses to fully online. And so they are fulfilling their academic continuity can keep that academic quality," said Morris.
To avoid this from happening again, Morris said the campus police, as well as city police, are working together to ensure students abide by the no gatherings order both on and off-campus.
All students at SUNY Oneonta are to remain quarantined on the campus for two weeks.
The city is offering free COVID-19 rapid-response testing for anyone interested. Information regarding that can be found here.
