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Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Feb. 19 changed the policy regarding the number of positive cases required for pausing in-person classes at universities and colleges such as Syracuse University. Originally, the state would require SU to pause in-person classes if it reported 100 positive COVID-19 tests within a set two-week period. But now, SU must go on pause if it reports 880 cases within a rolling two-week period. 

Cuomo said the change will encourage schools to increase testing and will allow more activities to be open without putting student safety on the line. Chancellor Kent Syverud also said that the university will take action to reduce the spread of COVID-19 before the number of cases on campus reaches 880. 

While the governor’s decision is helpful in some ways, it’s ultimately a risky one.

On one hand, students can take a bit of a breath. SU students don’t necessarily have to check the university’s COVID-19 dashboard daily, as my friends and I would last semester just to see how close we were to the 100 mark. Now, it’s less likely that we’ll get close to hitting the 880-case benchmark. 

Also, having 100 cases be the limit for SU — a university with over 20,000 students — seemed like a strict rule. Now that the limit has changed to 880 people, we don’t have to be as worried about SU shutting down. Students can also be confident that, as long as our numbers remain low, we will have in-person classes all semester.

Some students believe that numbers are everything. Will Mahaney, a sophomore mathematics major, believes that “shutting (universities) down based on percentages is better than one constant number for all universities across the state.” But Mahaney said the jump from 100 tests to 880 cases is large — especially when SU is only required to test 25% of students, faculty and staff.

While students may be able to take a bit of a breath, some may take the updated policy as a sign to let their guards down. The new limit may cause people to become more nonchalant about following COVID-19 policies and guidelines. Students may be inclined to gather in big groups, party without masks on and engage in other unsafe actions. 

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More stories on COVID-19 in Syracuse:

• ‘Deep inequity’: Some at-risk SU employees ineligible for COVID-19 vaccine
• Column: When it comes to COVID-19, SU can only do so much. Students must step up.
• Faculty raise concerns about SU’s COVID-19 response, workload at forum

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If the number of cases on campus reaches 880, the real number of infections would likely be higher. And if the number of on-campus infections reaches high levels, our case numbers will likely snowball. If that happens, how will our increase in cases affect the greater Syracuse community?

“We still have a responsibility to the broader Syracuse community to control the spread,” said Charlotte Ward, a freshman policy studies major.

If people start to become relaxed about practicing social distancing and start partying, this doesn’t affect just us. It affects the entire Syracuse community. It’s important to remind students of the privilege of ignoring COVID-19 guidelines, Ward said. 

The new policy may cause students to disregard public health guidelines, which would harm the university and the wider community. The change may let us relax about checking the COVID-19 dashboard daily, but it shouldn’t make us let our guards down. 

Melanie Wilder is a freshman information management and technology major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on February 28, 2021 at 9:32 pm