(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Sabrina Diaz is quarantined with other SUNY students at SUNY Brockport for 14 days. She was studying abroad in Italy, and arrived at Brockport over the weekend. She says she's upset her time abroad was cut short.
"We're not allowed to talk to our suite mate," she said. "There's two to a suite and we're not allowed to talk to them, we have to plan when to leave our room to go to the bathroom, to get our food when they drop it off at the door, we have to wear our masks to go to the door, we're not allowed to leave the room."
SUNY students are experiencing a variety of quarantine conditions. Isaiah Demoski is quarantined at home in Baldwinsville, NY. The SUNY Binghamton student was studying in Italy through SUNY Fredonia's program. Demoski decided to return home before SUNY suspended its programs, booking a flight to New York after his school in Italy closed, and travel bans were placed on other regions of the country.
"That was at the point where my parents were like 'yeah you should come home before anything else gets closed and you can't get back.'" Demoski said.
He says his county health department advised him to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure. He's finishing his coursework for the semester online as he finds ways to pass the time in his basement.
"Watch Netflix, play video games, take a nap," he said.
He said many of his friends are in similar situations.
"We'll be like oh what are you guys doing, we're not doing anything we're quarantined," he said. "But yeah, it's boring. We try to talk a lot, keep each other entertained."
Diaz said her and her friends plan to return to Italy one day, but for now students across the state are staying put.
