'They're doing whatever they want.' - SUNY Oneonta students blame partying for nearly 700 COVID-19 cases

So far, nearly 700 students at the school have tested positive for the virus, prompting Oneonta to shift to remote learning just 10 days into the fall semester.

News 12 Staff

Sep 8, 2020, 9:19 PM

Updated 1,493 days ago

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SUNY Oneonta was on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s list of schools in New York where COVID-19 cases have already spread through the student body. 
So far, nearly 700 students at the school have tested positive for the virus, prompting Oneonta to shift to remote learning just 10 days into the fall semester.
“This is going to be a problem. I am telling you that,” said Gov. Cuomo during his briefing Tuesday in New York City.
Students told News 12 that some students have been partying in residence halls with no masks and no social distancing.
"People are roaming the halls, people are playing music, people are partying, people are...they're doing whatever they want...just like they did before they got here,” said David Treanor, a junior from Yorktown who is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
He believes he was exposed while executing his role as a resident assistant.
"Residents would come knock on my door, asking a question and they would have no mask on – or I would knock on their door to deliver a meal and they're in their rooms and have no mask on," he said.
A SUNY Oneonta spokesperson told News 12, "Any student found to be violating our strict campus safety protocols may be faced with disciplinary action which may include suspension."
Gov. Cuomo announced Tuesday that every school in the state would have to submit COVID-19 case data and testing data daily to the state Department of Health, as part of a daily COVID Report Card.
He also singled out Cornell University, University of Buffalo, Hofstra University, SUNY Oswego, Colgate University and SUNY Fredonia as having issues with COVID-19 spread.