Reporting a positive COVID-19 test

09/19/2022 

Dear students,

I want to share some important updates about COVID-19.

SUNY System Administration has ended its COVID-19 tracker. The tracker was a useful and important tool when campuses were doing regular surveillance testing on a large scale, but it no longer represented a clear picture of the pandemic as campuses have shifted to testing only symptomatic individuals.

SUNY Cortland has created a new self-reporting system for COVID-19 positive students that will make informing others of an illness-related absence easier and will generate data for a Cortland-specific tracker.

If you test positive for COVID-19:

• Complete the self-reporting form through the Student tab in myRedDragon.
• Forward the email receipt you receive to your associate dean to notify them of your absence.
• If you would like to be seen by Student Health Service, schedule an appointment online. If you would like to speak with a nurse, call 607-753-4811.

The campus tracker will begin on Friday, Sept. 23. I hope this data will be helpful in keeping students, faculty and staff informed. Please keep in mind that the tracker will be an incomplete picture because the data is self-reported, but it will be valuable in identifying trends.

Most importantly, please take a test if you are feeling ill. If you do test positive for COVID-19, please fill out the self-reporting form and stay home. Your commitment to these simple practices keeps other members of the Cortland community safe.

A new booster dose is now available for most adults to help prevent infection and illness from highly contagious omicron variants. I encourage you to visit the State Department of Health’s COVID-19 website to schedule a test or a booster dose if you are eligible.

More information about the university’s policies is available on the COVID-19 Safety Information page. Any future updates or changes in policy will be shared with you by email.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President