ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — As the fall semester for New York colleges is underway for some and about to begin for others, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new COVID-19 case threshold if there is a spike on campus.
If a college has more than 100 COVID cases or 5% of its population is positive, the school must go to remote learning for at least two weeks. Students are allowed to remain on campus during this time.
The situation is reevaluated after the remote learning period by the local health department. It is then, the department could require continued remote learning if the college "cannot contain the number of cases."
Governor Cuomo says the guidance is in part due to a rise in cases as other colleges around the country settle in to their fall semesters.
"When you have large congregations of people, anticipate a cluster. We know that," said Cuomo.
Local health departments will have the ability to suspend on-campus activities if a college can not contain the virus.
"Be prepared for it. Get ahead of it. Be prepared for it. Get ahead of it," said Cuomo.
