Thursday evening at 9:50 eastern time students received an email from Public Information Officer Graham Ciraulo stating a second positive case revealed itself at Marymount’s 55th Street dormitory.  This email comes in addition to another sent Wednesday evening, also from Ciraulo, that the College was “alerted that a resident of our 55th Street Residence Hall has tested positive for COVID-19,” the November 11 email states.  

Both emails further state that “The student is now in isolation and our contact tracers are working to identify close contacts and potential spread,” as well as deep cleanings have been scheduled. 

The student who tested positive Wednesday was reported to have been on Marymount’s 71st Street main campus on October 23 and contact tracing was put into effect after officials learned of this.  This student is isolating at home according to a November 12 email from Residence Life.  The second student from the 29th floor is “now in isolation” although not specifying where.  It is additionally being reported that the second student has not visited campus this semester. 

In two emails sent on November 11 and 12, by Resident Life to 55th Street residents these cases are originating from the 29th floor of the dormitory.  According to reports from 55th Street dormitory residents, these cases are being attributed to various Halloween parties that were held by students.  These parties occurred well within the 14-day incubation period the COVID-19 virus has to show symptoms. This report has yet to be acknowledged and/or certified by officials at Marymount. 

Additionally a “non-resident member of the MMC community” tested positive for COVID according to a November 10 email from Ciraulo.  The email later specifies that it is a staff member.  The staff member was last at the main campus on November 4.  The November 10 email then states “[as of November 10 at 8:50 EST], we have found that there was no close contact with other members of the community.” 

This brings Marymount’s total COVID count up to six total COVID-19 cases as of November 12 at 10:35 EST.  

Update as of Friday, November 13th: 

In a Friday afternoon email from Residence Life sent in follow up to several emails from the past two days from Residence Life and Public Information Officer Graham Ciraulo, a student who tested positive on Thursday after another student tested positive on Wednesday, both residents of the 29th floor, is now isolating on the 28th floor “[p]er our quarantine and isolation protocols,” the email states.  In addition, the email continues that “all close contacts have entered quarantine and are monitoring for symptoms. Fortunately, all of these individuals have reported no symptoms.” Deep cleaning and sanitation of “high-touch areas on the first floor, the common areas in [the student’s] suite, and bedroom” have been disinfected. 

This is a developing story.  We will continue to bring the Marymount Manhattan community updates as we receive them.