April 28, 2022
Student Health Services has seen an uptick in the number of active positive COVID cases among students over the past week. This increase in our campus population mirrors the high caseload that St. Lawrence County and other parts of New York State are currently experiencing.
While we must pay close attention to this trend and take appropriate action, we know from our conversations with our colleagues at the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department and the Board of Health that this is not a cause for major concern. Thanks to all of your efforts, SUNY Potsdam is an overwhelmingly vaccinated community, helping to protect the vast majority of our students and employees from the most severe health outcomes from COVID.
Additionally, with new therapeutic antiviral treatments becoming available, the risk of severe health outcomes are further reduced for those who have a high risk of getting very sick due to age or underlying health issues. Local hospitals and health institutions are not currently seeing concerning levels of hospitalizations associated with the new Omicron subvariant, which seems to be driving the new spike in cases across upstate.
While SUNY Potsdam’s campus policies have not changed, please be vigilant and pay attention to the following reminders.
Masking
In areas designated as having a high caseload, the CDC recommends that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public. This is particularly well advised in large congregate events, like concerts and performances.
We know from the data, and from personal experience wearing them with patients every day, that medical grade masks like N95 and KN95 masks are highly effective at preventing the transmission of COVID, even if others are unmasked in the same space. Please continue to be courteous and respectful of others’ wishes, by carrying a mask with you and putting it on if others ask you to in their presence.
Symptoms & testing
Please continue to pay close attention to your personal health. If you are displaying cold symptoms or allergy symptoms, please mask up and seek testing immediately. If you have tested positive, please follow SUNY Potsdam and CDC guidelines, which include a mandatory isolation period.
The free Community Testing Site in the Merritt Hall Gym is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk-in testing is available, or you can schedule an appointment online through Quadrant Biosciences.
Tests can also be scheduled at the following locations:
If you test positive using an at-home rapid test:
- Students should contact Student Health Services and send your test results using the secure file upload.
- Employees should contact Human Resources and report their test to Public Health using this form.
Quarantine
If you are notified that you were a close contact of someone who has tested positive, remember that you do not need to quarantine, as long as you do not have symptoms and are fully vaccinated and boosted.
If you do have symptoms or never received a booster/initial vaccination, you will be required to quarantine.
Isolation
Anyone who has tested positive must isolate for at least five days, by staying home and staying away from others. In compliance with New York State isolation requirements, anyone who is within six to ten days of recovering from testing positive for COVID or who has symptoms is still required to continue to be masked around others.
For more information, see www.potsdam.edu/prepared.
SUNY Potsdam Student Health Services
Van Housen Hall, first floor
Questions: (315) 267-2377 or shs@potsdam.edu