All on-campus SUNY students will be required to test negative for COVID-19 before leaving campus for Thanksgiving break, State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras announced today.

Chancellor Malatras says students must test negative within 10 days prior to returning to their hometowns to help prevent community spread. 

“As in-person classes and instruction come to a close next month, tens of thousands of students will travel across the state and country to be with their families and complete their fall courses remotely," he said.

The colleges must work with their county health department to isolate or quarantine any residential student who tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to COVID-19 within 14 days of the closing of the fall semester.

The decision means SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities will test about 140,000 students over a 10-day period preceding Thanksgiving break.  All campuses will shift to remote lerning after Thanksgiving and resident halls will be closed, with a few exceptions.

Colleges and universities must submit a plan to test all of their on-campus students within that 10-day window no later than Nov. 5.

Students at SUNY Farmingdale who spoke with News 12 said the safety measures are a good idea.

"I think it's a good idea to know. Some people might have it and don't even know they have it, so it's good to find out if you do or not,” said Esha Perwaiz.

Administrators at Farmingdale say out of 1,200 tests they have conducted since July, only one student tested positive. In-person and online learning will continue on the campus into December.