For Immediate Release

August 25, 2020

What follows is a statement by UUP President Kowal on a decision by SUNY Plattsburgh to institute pool testing to detect COVID-19 on campus:

“We commend SUNY Plattsburgh and the leadership of President Alexander Enyedi, for taking quick action to crack down on student parties to stem the spread of coronavirus and instituting a more aggressive COVID-19 testing regimen to keep students, staff and the community safe.

“Since June, UUP has aggressively called for the safe reopening of SUNY campuses, including consistent surveillance testing, rapid contact tracing, physical distancing and wearing a mask. The health and safety of our communities, faculty, staff and students is paramount.

“SUNY Plattsburgh’s decision to use pool testing to detect COVID-19 on campus is laudable and UUP strongly supports the move. The testing, approved by the state Department of Health for SUNY, uses saliva collected from those being tested. These pooled tests will allow for as many as 25 people to be screened at a time.

“We look forward to working with new SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras to make this type of surveillance testing mandatory across all of SUNY’s campuses.”