Face coverings strongly recommended indoors

04/03/2022

Dear campus community,

I am reaching out to make you aware that the New York State Health Department is urging residents of Central New York, including Cortland County, to wear masks in all public indoor spaces due to a growing COVID-19 risk. This recommendation applies to all individuals regardless of vaccination status.

I strongly urge you to consider wearing a face covering indoors for your safety and for the safety of the entire Cortland community.

The number of infections involving SUNY Cortland students and employees remains very low, as we currently have six reported active cases. However, Cortland County remains at the "medium" level in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's community level metric and three neighboring counties, Onondaga, Oswego and Cayuga, have been classified at the high level.

Central New York is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases more than twice as high as the rest of the state. The region's 7-day average case rate is 37.7 people for every 100,000 compared to the statewide average of 15.6. Additional data on Cortland County is provided through our local health department.

Remember:

If you are feeling ill, please schedule a test through Student Health Service by calling 607-753-4811 or find another local site through New York's test finder portal. If you do test positive, please stay home.
Surveillance testing for students, faculty and staff will continue. If you are selected for a test by email, please follow the provided instructions.

Those with medical or religious exemptions should continue to wear their masks and follow university requirements. All others, especially those with health issues that put them at greater risk, should seriously consider taking measures to protect themselves.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President