Editorial Board: SU COVID-19 plans are somewhat effective, but not perfect

Five weeks into the fall semester, Syracuse University’s coronavirus prevention policies seem to be effective. As of Wednesday, 27 students in central New York currently have the virus, and 127 are in quarantine. But even though SU has so far prevented a COVID-19 outbreak on campus, we can’t let our guard down now. 

SU’s COVID-19 testing policies have worked. By mandating that students participate in pre-arrival testing, the university identified cases of the virus before we arrived on campus in August. The university’s wastewater testing system has identified potential traces of COVID-19 in Ernie Davis, Sadler and Day halls, and the university has lept into action when needed to quarantine residents and prevent possible outbreaks.

Universities around the country — including the University of Alabama, the University of Notre Dame, Penn State and Indiana University — have seen massive outbreaks on their campuses. However, we can’t lose sight of our shared goal: staying safely on campus until Nov. 24. 

We’ve seen a recent spike in cases following Labor Day weekend, with quarantine numbers reaching the triple digits for the first time on Friday. Though SU’s prevention efforts and handling of previous COVID-19 scares instills confidence in our ability to remain on campus beyond week five, the university must communicate what proactive measures it’s taking to keep cases low as quarantine numbers reach record highs.

The university now says it has space for 300 quarantine and isolation units. The campus community hasn’t received any information concerning how many of the 127 students are quarantining in these units or in their own off-campus housing. All it takes is one cluster to multiply the number of students in need of quarantine. SU should tell the student body how close its quarantine and isolation units are to becoming overwhelmed, a situation that could mean the end of on-campus instruction.

As temperatures drop and the flu season begins, cold weather will push students indoors, where social distancing is more difficult than spacing out on the Quad. The university must reiterate to the student body how important their individual efforts are — and again recommend and provide alternatives to risky behavior.

SU’s communication so far fails to address questions students have had all semester: What will a campus shutdown look like? How will we get home? What if we don’t have a stable home environment? What if we can’t afford a plane ticket? Will our belongings be stored or stolen? 

These concerns should not be left unaddressed while the possibility of a campus shutdown lurks in the back of our minds. Many students cannot afford another rushed announcement of a campus shutdown. Haphazard communication was understandable in March. Now, SU has a responsibility to prepare the campus community for all outcomes. 

Along with increasing communication concerning the nearness of an outbreak and the logistics of a campus shutdown, the university should also address the existing flaws in its mostly effective prevention measures.

Some of SU’s policies regarding COVID-19 safety have gone unenforced. The Barnes Center’s Daily Health Screening Form is ineffective. There are no repercussions for failing to fill out the daily check-in form or neglecting to complete it at all, contrary to what the university stated when the form was rolled out. 

If students know they can enter campus without notifying the university about their potential symptoms of COVID-19, they’ll be less inclined to follow any of the university’s other public health guidelines. SU is obligated to enforce the policies laid out months ago to assuage our fears about in-person instruction. 

As more time passes, the SU community may feel as though outbreaks on campus are no longer a possibility. But the same dangers that have been with us the entire semester will only be compounded by the approaching flu season.

We are lucky. Sufficient planning combined with fortunate geography has kept away a large-scale outbreak on campus so far. We’ve made it through the first five weeks. Now the university needs to tell us how it will steer us through the next eight and a half.