Farmingdale State College Closes For Week After Coronavirus Case

FARMINGDALE, NY — Farmingdale State College will be closed now through March 22 after a member of the campus community tested positive for the new coronavirus, Patrick Calabria, the school's vice president for institutional advancement and enrollment management, told Patch Friday.

The person diagnosed with COVID-19 is quarantined and has not been on campus since Saturday, March 7, Farmingdale State College President John Nader wrote in a letter to the community. Health authorities will alert the college if there's a need for others to isolate themselves.

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The college is closely working with the Suffolk County and New York State Departments of Health, Nader said. Aggressive sanitizing and disinfecting is in process and will recur. The week-long closure is meant to allow the school to effectively prepare for the return of students from spring break and resume classes in a distance learning format, as well as ensure a safe environment, according to Nader.

The college anticipates it will return to normal operations and classes will resume, as scheduled, March 23.

"I want to assure you that all appropriate precautions are being taken by and the College's emergency response group to ensure the health and safety of our campus community," Nader wrote. "We will continue to regularly communicate developments to the campus. Please continue to monitor the College's web site and your campus email for updates."

The college offers the following guidance:

• Only essential personnel as identified and instructed by supervisors are to report to work Monday, March 16 through Sunday March 22, as appropriate.
• Non-essential personnel should work remotely and will not be required to charge their accruals.
• Faculty or staff who wish to collect important personal possessions or materials needed to work remotely will have access to the campus on Tuesday, March 17 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. only.
• Resident students are strongly encouraged to return home until classes resume. Students who leave should take with them personal items such as laptops, study materials, medications and other important possessions.
• Students who have questions about the status of their classes, labs, clinical placements, or internships, should contact their professors or academic departments.
• Work-study students should contact their departments to determine future arrangements.
• The Child Care Center and Bookstore are also closed until further notice.
• Specific communication for various campus constituencies will be sent from to time.

"The personal well-being of our students, faculty, and staff are our utmost priority and we will take any steps necessary to ensure a safe and secure environment," Nader said.

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