The Yates County Department of Public Health confirmed on Wednesday, Oct. 14, that seven Keuka College students had tested positive for the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. In addition, four student cases and one employee case have been resolved. This brings the number of active cases among the College community to 57 with six cases resolved.
A total of 134 students who may have had contact with the affected students continue to quarantine, 78 of them on campus.
The College continues to follow its response protocols in cooperation with county public health officials, who are conducting contact tracing. As always, anyone who has been in immediate proximity to an infected individual will be contacted directly by health officials and provided with information regarding the necessary next steps. Any student contacted by a medical professional or the New York State Public Health Department and directed to quarantine must notify us immediately by emailing [email protected].
In response to these cases, Keuka College transitioned to distance learning for a two-week period beginning Monday, Oct. 12. Adult and Online Education (AOE) classes remain online for the duration of this semester as originally planned.
“This is the best way to accommodate the immediate instructional needs of all our students, whether they are quarantining or not,” said College President Amy Storey.
The College has also:
-Directed faculty and employees deemed non-essential to work remotely during the two-week distance-learning interval.
-Temporarily closed high-traffic facilities including the athletics center, Lightner Library, Norton Chapel, all classrooms, and related instructional space.
-Converted to 100% take-out at the College’s Geiser Dining Commons.
Students have been strongly urged to remain on campus during the distance-learning period and reminded that unnecessary travel increases health risks to the people in their families and broader home communities.
The College tracks all active and resolved cases on its COVID-19 Dashboard, which is updated daily. In addition, the College will continue to alert students, faculty, and staff via email when a positive diagnosis is confirmed.
