BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The University at Buffalo announced Wednesday three positive COVID-19 tests among students and staff.
Of the three positive cases, two are students in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the third is a faculty member who has been working remotely.
According to officials the first student case was disclosed to Jacobs School students, faculty and staff via email on Friday and the second student case reported Tuesday. Both students are self-isolating at their off-campus residences and are taking classes remotely and the cases are not related.
Following the university’s guidelines, faculty, staff and students within the Jacobs School were notified and advised to monitor their health.
According to officials the faculty member is not part of the medical school, was on campus briefly one day but had very limited interaction and is in isolation at home.
"In accordance with UB’s Health and Safety Guidelines, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 exposure or have symptoms are immediately sent home, or to a designated quarantine or isolation location," a release states.
UB says custodial staff has thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the impacted areas within the Jacobs School building.
"Per UB guidelines, the university will immediately coordinate with the state and local health departments whenever there is a known, confirmed case of COVID-19 on campus. The university will also support the Erie County Department of Health’s contact tracing procedures in accordance with the New York State Contact Tracing Program. Confidentiality will be maintained as required by federal and state laws and regulations," a release states.
The university has put several policies in place to try to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 on its campus which include:
- Requiring a daily health screening for all students, faculty, and staff.
- Making changes to campus dining.
- Making dorm room policy more strict.
- Offering a mix of in-person and online classes for the fall semester.
The fall semester is set to begin on August 31, the university has a COVID-19 dashboard which will provide the latest updates.
