There are now two confirmed cases of the coronavirus within the Plattsburgh State community, the Clinton County Health Department confirmed with PSU.
The health department will reach out to individuals who may have been in contact with the two confirmed cases and share what they can do to take care of themselves, President Alexander Enyedi wrote in an email sent to all students Tuesday morning.
Both confirmed cases were employees at PSU. Enyedi did not provide information about the capacity of their employment at PSU. However, Jacob Avery, assistant director for the Center for Student Involvement, confirmed on Twitter that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Stay indoors. COVID is here. It’s in our community It’s affecting our community. Every single day we see it, but we need to take it more seriously,” Avery said in a video message on Twitter.
Avery said it started with a fever overnight. Then it was chest pains followed with a hard time breathing. His doctor set up an appointment and was later tested Friday. Avery is now under quarantine for the next two weeks.
“I can’t stress this enough, stay inside. Wash you hands,” Avery said.
Enyedi said the confirmed cases came as no surprise to the college.
“This new confirmed case was not unexpected. As noted in Sunday’s message to campus, with more frequent testing and the rise of this virus, we expect more cases will present within and around our campus community over time,” Enyedi said.
One case was confirmed earlier by the health department Sunday. The individual “was active in the community while symptomatic,” the Clinton County Health Department said in its press release Sunday.
While symptomatic, the individual was present at PSU, Beekmantown Central School, Sawatdee Restaurant, Koto Restaurant, Eclipse Gym, Hannaford and an unidentified taxi company, the health department said.
“This incident underscores the critical importance of staying home if ill, even if you have not been tested or do not believe you have COVID-19,” Erin Streiff, director of Health Care Services for the Clinton County Health Department said. “It also represents the enormous challenge of containing a viral illness like COVID-19 without the full cooperation of the community.”
PSU is encouraging students who feel sick with a fever, cough or difficulty breathing to self-isolate and immediately call their own health care professional or the Student Health and Counseling Center for further guidance.
The two latest local cases of the coronavirus brings the total confirmed cases within Clinton County to 20. Five of the 20 cases have recovered, the Clinton County Health Department said.
Email Fernando Alba at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
