Posted: March 26, 2020, 5:57 p.m.
Dear Campus Community Members,
I am writing to inform you that the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) confirmed today that three valued members of our Buffalo State College community have tested positive for COVID-19. These are the first confirmed cases connected to our campus community:
We are working closely with ECDOH to communicate with any students, faculty, or staff members who may have come into direct contact with these individuals. Any person identified who had close contact with an individual who tests positive will be directed by ECDOH to self-isolate and monitor symptoms for 14 days.
As a reminder, there are no classes this week during the college’s expanded spring break of March 14–29. Remote instruction begins March 30. All nonessential employees have been telecommuting since March 17. All resident students who remain on campus are being moved to suite- or apartment-style residence halls to limit sharing of common spaces and bathrooms.
Please continue to be vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel, avoid large groups of people, and maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet from other people as a measure to reduce the possible spread of the virus. It is also imperative that we all continue to practice simple good-health habits, such as washing our hands often and thoroughly, coughing or sneezing into the crooks of our arms, avoiding touching our faces, and staying home when we are sick.
If you are a student living on campus and suspect that you’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, or respiratory distress), isolate yourself immediately and call the Weigel Wellness Center at (716) 878-6711. Please do not go to the clinic if you have symptoms. Call first and await instructions from a Weigel staff member. During evenings and weekends, please call our after-hours nurse line at (866) 710-1002.
If you are a student living off campus or a faculty or staff member and are experiencing any one of the symptoms of coronavirus, stay home, isolate yourself, and contact your personal health-care provider. Please call before going to the provider’s office or clinic. Additionally, any faculty or staff members must also report their symptom(s) to their supervisor and to Human Resource Management by telephone or e-mail at (716) 878-4822 or warnesje@buffalostate.edu. Employees who develop symptoms outside of their normal business hours should not report to work and should instead immediately call University Police at (716) 878-6333 to report their symptom(s).
Buffalo State College will continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19 with guidance from our local and state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please continue to monitor your e-mail at all hours of the day for updates regarding campus operations in the coming weeks. Additional information and resources are available on our COVID-19 information website.
And let us continue to make sure that all members of our community are treated with the care, dignity, and respect they deserve. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Katherine Conway-Turner
President
Buffalo State College
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