Oneonta cancels in-person classes for fall

ONEONTA, N.Y. » SUNY Oneonta has canceled all in-person classes and activities for the rest of the fall 2020 semester due to nearly 400 students testing positive for COVID-19, State University Chancellor Jim Malatras announced Thursday.

A two-week shift to online-only instruction was announced Sunday when the number of COVID cases at Oneonta passed 100. By Thursday, though, the number had jumped to 389.

“Although this situation is unsettling, I must ask for patience and cooperation from students and families as we work to help students get home to resume remote learning as safely and quickly as possible,” Malatras said in a prepared statement.

Under guidance announced in late August by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a college in New York state must switch to online-only instruction if, over a two-week period, it has 100 cases of COVID, or if the number of cases equals 5% of the on-campus population.

SUNY Oneonta, in Otsego County, is the first New York college to cancel in-person classes because of a COVID-19 spike. It is not the only SUNY school with COVID problems, though — there also have been outbreaks on the SUNY campuses in Plattsburgh, Geneseo and Fredonia.

SUNY New Paltz, where about 25% of classes are being taught in person, has reported seven cases of COVID among students, though none among employees, since its fall semester began Aug. 24.

New Paltz on Thursday reported having 14 students in quarantine and three in isolation due to COVID concerns.

For local coverage related to the coronavirus, go to bit.ly/DFCOVID19.