The first case of Covid-19 has been confirmed at Union College, according to an email sent by Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, the Vice-President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. The confirmed positive test report came yesterday evening for an asymptomatic student who’s living off-campus, according to the email. So far, 625 tests for COVID-19 have been administered by Union according to the new COVID–19 dashboard. The Union Covid-19 team has confirmed that the student has been put under isolation, according to the email. This confirmed case comes six days before the Fall 2020 term is set to begin on 9th September.

According to the most recent guidelines on reopening schools in New York State released by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, colleges will have to temporarily cancel in person classes for a two week period if there are more than a 100 positive coronavirus cases or there’s an outbreak equal to more than five percent of the population of the college. Most recently, SUNY Oneonta suspended classes for two weeks after 105 positive cases of COVID-19 were reported, according to NBC New York. Five students and three organizations have been suspended for hosting parties that led to the formation of the cluster, according to Times Union.