Cornell University has escalated its campus alert level to “yellow,” indicating higher-than-predicted levels of COVID-19 campus transmission.
The number of cases are rising significantly. Cornell’s COVID-19 Tracking Dashboard shows 151 new positive cases in total as of Tuesday, March 22. That brings the number of total active student cases to 263, with 36 active employee cases as well.
The school’s new positive cases figure comes from people who are symptomatic and have been tested, according to Ithaca Voice. It is probable that the number of active campus cases is significantly higher, especially considering there could be people who are unaware they are infected due to being asymptomatic. Cornell is asking students to resume wearing a “high quality mask” and discouraging students from going to social events or class if they feel unwell.
Tompkins County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa stated on Wednesday, March 23 that is is possible the highly-transmissible BA.2 COVID-19 variant has already spread to Ithaca, though no BA.2 cases have been confirmed in the county thus far.
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