The Chautauqua County Health Department has notified SUNY Fredonia that a member of the Athletics Department staff has tested positive for COVID-19. The health department is conducting contact tracing of all close contacts.
The staff member worked with student-athletes on Oct. 19 and 20. Student-athletes who worked with the staff member on those dates have been notified. Since the start of the semester, the SUNY Fredonia Athletics Department has mandated - and continues to remind student-athletes - that all sanctioned athletic activities include facial coverings and physical distancing. Once it is verified student-athletes who worked with the staff member on these dates wore masks and maintained physical distancing during their activities, they are not required to quarantine (unless any student-athletes have already been placed under a Public Health Order for quarantine/isolation). Those student-athletes are asked to closely monitor their health, including completing daily temperature logs and a symptom checklist.
“Blue Devil Athletics put strict guidelines in place to keep everyone safe,” said Director of Athletics Jerry Fisk. “This is an example of exactly why those protocols were established and enforced. By following the guidance, student-athletes greatly reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.”
While contact tracing and monitoring will mitigate the spread of COVID-19, university officials note this positive case is a signal for campus to respond rapidly to understand the depth of the problem and contain it. With that goal in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, SUNY Fredonia is suspending all in-person athletic activities effective Monday, Oct. 26. This includes team and individual practice/training.
“The safety of our student-athletes is paramount,” said Cedric Howard, vice president for Enrollment and Student Services. “It is our desire for all students to complete the academic term with as few distractions as possible. Balancing academic studies, practices, and concern over potential illness is a stress we do not want to place on our student-athletes.”
“We appreciate the impact of this decision,” said Dr. Howard. “The vast majority of our teams and athletes are remaining safe and healthy. Unfortunately, as we have seen with this virus, a small ember can grow into an inferno quickly. We must do everything we can to prevent that from happening.”
