Positive COVID-19 Cases Found in Leo Hall
Two weeks after the start of the fall semester, Marist has identified a limited number of students in Leo Hall who have tested positive for COVID-19. The students who tested positive are in isolation off-campus and the college is now requiring that masks be worn in all common areas of Leo Hall through Monday, September 13.
“The College’s 95% vaccination rate is an important marker of how safe the campus is: all data indicate that individuals who are vaccinated are at low risk to contract COVID-19, and at little or no risk of serious illness or complications if they do test positive,” Vice President for Student Affairs Deborah DiCaprio said in an email to Leo residents on September 8.
Leo Hall is a traditional-style dormitory that houses approximately 317 freshmen. The exact number of COVID-19 cases in the residence hall has not been released by the college. Students residing in Leo Hall are being provided with additional COVID-19 testing options.
“Students with approved exemptions or who are not yet fully vaccinated should ensure they attend their mandatory surveillance test appointment this week, and if they wish to add an additional test through Monday, September 13, they may do so,” DiCaprio said. “Students without symptoms who are vaccinated in Leo Hall can register for a COVID-19 test at 51 Fulton Street by Thursday, September 8.”
Currently, the Marist community is required to wear face masks in all administrative and academic buildings on campus regardless of vaccination status. The mask guidelines created in August do not require students to wear masks in dormitories, however, Leo residents will have to wear them until noon on September 13. Any student that tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate at their own off-campus location because Marist does not have isolation housing for students this semester.
“Since we got the email, I have not been socializing with people on our floor as much and our friends from other dorms have not been coming over to visit like they were before,” Leo resident Kate Murtagh ‘25 said.
Murtagh and her roommate, Madi Whited ‘25, have changed some of their habits since they were informed of the positive COVID-19 cases in their dorm.
“We have been keeping our windows open more often and we have also been taking cleaning supplies to the communal bathrooms to wipe down the sinks and showers,” Whited said. “We have been wearing our masks every time we step out of our room and started taking vitamin C on a daily basis.”
In the broader Dutchess County area, approximately 57% of residents have reached a full vaccination status against COVID-19. Dutchess County has 750 active COVID-19 cases as of September 10 and is considered an area of high transmission.
“We continue to emphasize that the safest measure any individual can take to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated,” DiCaprio said. “We are confident in the work we’ve done together to protect the Marist community.”
The Marist Administration released the fall 2021 COVID-19 dashboard so that students, faculty and parents can track the number of positive COVID-19 cases on campus. Currently, Marist has 27 active COVID-19 cases, with 26 of the cases being students and one case being a faculty member. The Administration suggests that the community checks the Marist reopening website for updates on COVID-19 policies and procedures throughout the semester.
Marist has identified a limited number of students in Leo Hall who have tested positive for COVID-19. Source: Greta Stuckey ‘23