UB statement on COVID-19 cases among students living in University Heights

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo currently has 46 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 43 of which are among students who live off campus. According to the university’s data, the vast majority of these cases are concentrated in the University Heights neighborhood near UB’s South Campus.

The students are isolating at their residences, in accordance with guidelines from the Erie County Department of Health, which is tracing their close contacts in collaboration with UB. The majority of the students are taking courses remotely and have not been on UB’s campuses.

UB is actively reaching out to students who live in the neighborhood, urging them to avoid attending house parties, and reminding them of the potential consequences of violating the university’s student compliance policy for COVID-19. In addition, university officials are in contact with all Greek-lettered, social fraternities and sororities, all of which are based off campus, and have warned them against hosting parties.

“We are monitoring this situation very closely and taking steps to mitigate the spread both on and off campus,” said A. Scott Weber, UB’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

UB offices, including both the Office of Community Relations and University Police, are working with the Buffalo Police Department to address issues, including large parties, involving students living in off-campus housing in the University Heights neighborhood.

Students have been told that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, and that it jeopardizes the health and well-being of the entire UB community, as well as communities near UB’s campuses.

UB will continue to educate its students on the importance of being good neighbors, as well as work closely with Buffalo Police to help ensure that students living off-campus follow public health guidelines.

The university will begin random COVID-19 surveillance testing of students, faculty and staff in partnership with Upstate Medical Center, with multiple rounds of scheduled randomized testing to take place at regular intervals (weekly, biweekly or monthly). Testing sites are being set up on the North, South and Downtown campuses.

During each round of testing, 279 individuals from each stratified group will be randomly sampled, for an overall total of 837 across the three groups.

“Periodic, randomized surveillance testing of a representative sample of asymptomatic students, faculty and staff provides an important metric of changes in prevalence of COVID-19 within the UB community,” said Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences, dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and chair of the committee overseeing UB’s health guidelines.

Information on positive cases at UB is available on the university’s COVID-19 dashboard page.