Binghamton University Returning to Remote-Only Classes

In-person classes at Binghamton University are being halted because of an increase in Covid-19 cases.

University President Harvey Stenger announced the move Tuesday. In a statement, he noted the school "reached the threshold of 100 positive cases during the current two-week period" as of noon.

Stenger said the development did not come as a surprise because the university has been "aggressively testing nearly every student on campus" in preparation for the Thanksgiving break.

Stenger said although the number of cases rose above the level to allow in-person classes to continue, efforts to reduce the spread of infection have paid off. He said the campus positivity rate is "a manageable 1.61%" while the rate for the surrounding community is 3.2%.

Remote-only instruction for Binghamton University students will resume Wednesday.

Stenger is asking students to remain on campus or in their off-campus residences until the start of the break. He also reminded students to report for their scheduled coronavirus tests before heading home.

The goal of the testing is to prevent infected students from transmitting Covid-19 to their home towns.

Binghamton University had resumed in-person classes on October 22.