Cuomo Says Hofstra Is COVID Hotspot, But School Disagrees

UNIONDALE, NY — At a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo claimed that Hofstra University had been the site of a coronavirus outbreak since school started — a claim which the college says isn't accurate.

During the press conference, Cuomo was talking about safety at schools and listed many colleges and universities that have seen outbreaks of the virus since classes resumed. In addition to Hofstra, he also mentioned SUNY Oneonta, which went entirely online last week after nearly 400 cases of the coronavirus were confirmed on campus.

"Colleges are a problem and will continue to be a problem," Cuomo said.

But university officials say that Hofstra should not have been included in the governor's rundown.

"Unlike some schools, we have conducted thousands of initial tests, have begun surveillance testing and offer on-site symptomatic and other testing as advised by clinicians," Hofstra said in a statement. "Through our testing program with Northwell Health, we have implemented aggressive public health protocols and have worked closely with the Nassau County Department of Health to verify any reports of off-campus positive test results, and continue to follow all public health and state guidelines."

The university called the governor's statement "misleading." According to Hofstra, under a directive from Cuomo, it and other colleges have been monitoring coronavirus cases since Aug. 28. The school said it has had 34 positive cases since then, out of an on-campus population of 9,200. That is an infection rate of 0.3 percent.

"In every instance, appropriate protocols have been followed, with immediate isolation and quarantine in coordination with the Department of Health," the university said.

But Cuomo's administration said the college's number of cases are higher — more than double what the school said — and that officials need to keep an eye on things at Hofstra.

""Governor Cuomo has been clear that COVID can easily spread on college campuses and must be monitored closely — with 74 confirmed cases among the student body, there is obviously cause for concern at Hofstra and the Department of Health will continue to treat this like what it is: an outbreak that must be watched," said administration spokesman Jack Sterne.

Colleges have become concerning cases of new coronavirus hotspots as students attend parties and flout other social distancing measures. To prevent that, Hofstra has taken strict measures. Large gatherings on campus are banned, and students can face disciplinary action if they violate social distancing guidelines.