2 SUNY New Paltz faculty Members Have Coronavirus

Two SUNY New Paltz faculty members tested positive for coronavirus.

On Friday, SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian notified the college community an employee tested positive for COVID-19. This individual is a music faculty member and is currently off-campus and in quarantine.

The employee was last on campus on Sunday, March 15, officials say.

Shortly after, Christian announced a second employee tested positive for COVID-19. This individual is a special education faculty member and is currently off-campus and in quarantine. The employee was last on campus on Thursday, March 12.

As a precaution, College Hall, Shango Hall and Old Manin were closed and will remain closed until Monday, March 23, to enable deep cleaning, Christian said in a letter obtained by Hudson Valley Post.

"We are working closely with the Ulster County Department of Health and the Ulster County Office of Emergency Management to reach out to any students, faculty or staff members who may have come in contact with this individual," Christain said. "We are activating all necessary protocols and will provide timely updates to all members of the campus community. We remind members of our community that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised that there is “No Identifiable Risk” to an individual who walks or briefly shares a room with a COVID-19-positive individual. That guidance can be found in Table 1 of the CDC’s interim guidance for risk assessment related to perceived levels of exposure. We continue to recommend that members of our community who are experiencing flu-like symptoms practice good public health protocols by resting, drinking lots of fluids, reducing contact with others, restricting their movement around campus, and contacting the Student Health Center or their primary care physician."