A third state college is on high alert this week after multiple students tested positive for coronavirus.

SUNY New Paltz officials are closely watching after three students tested positive for coronavirus with a dozen total now in quarantine.

 

The school president says the three people were in close contact with each other, and the cases are related.

News 12 is told one of the students who tested positive took part in two off-campus basketball games last week in Tony Williams Park.

New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers is urging students to be cautious. "College campuses seem like a hotbed where this contagious virus can spread easily so we've tried to work closely with the administration on campus. It is nerve-wracking, you know this is an incredibly contagious virus. we can as a community have individuals make bad choices and this virus can spread like wildfire."

The 12 students involved in those basketball games are in quarantine while awaiting test results.

University President Donald Christian wrote a letter to the community warning them that their actions have consequences and students are paying attention. "It kind of gave me the impression that they're taking this very seriously. This isn't something where it's just like, ‘Oh hey we want to make these rules so that we look good.’ It's more of like we really need to keep the students safe,” says senior Joe Geraci.

School officials are still investigating whether or not the off-campus incident violated the college's reopening plan. The students could still face discipline from a warning to a full suspension.

SUNY New Paltz began its mandatory COVID testing Monday for all in-person students.

Over the weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced more than 100 students at SUNY Oneonta have tested positive for the coronavirus. A SUNY Stony Brook student has also tested positive since classes resumed.