UNC adds nearly 50 new cases to COVID-19 dashboard. New dorm cluster reported.
UNC Chapel Hill reported nearly 50 new COVID-19 cases among students and employees in its daily update Thursday. Most of the new cases are in residence halls and bring UNC’s total to just under 1,000 coronavirus cases since February.
Two employees and 31 students tested positive Wednesday, and 11 more students were added to Tuesday’s total.
The number of daily new positive cases reported by UNC is the lowest it’s been since Aug. 15.
On Thursday evening, UNC announced a new cluster at Cobb residence hall, reporting five positive cases. That brings UNC’s total to 12 clusters.
Several clusters have been identified in campus dorms and residence halls. Granville Towers saw the biggest increase, with about 16 new cases. Craige, Hinton James, Ehringhaus and Avery dorms each had three or fewer cases added, according to UNC’s COVID-19 dashboard.
The university reports 4,887 students have been tested, with 945 positive results since February 2020. UNC has reported 999 COVID-19 cases among students and employees in that time frame and more than 800 cases since classes started.
The 12 clusters are on UNC’s campus and UNC-affiliated off-campus properties, including Greek life houses. The Chapel Hill Police Department is cracking down on students who are having parties and violating state orders as the number of students infected continues to rise.
The state defines a cluster as five or more cases in close proximity. Currently, clusters have been identified at Ehringhaus, Hinton James, Granville Towers, Carmichael, Craige, Avery, Morrison, Cobb and Koury residence halls. There have also been clusters at the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Sigma Nu fraternity and Zeta Psi fraternity.
“Health department staff is working closely with Campus Health on case investigation, contact tracing, setting up additional testing opportunities, and working to further de-densify campus,” Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said in a statement.
The university began mass testing last week for students living in Ehringhaus, Hinton James and Granville Towers. There will also be a testing event in Chapel Hill on Friday at the R7 Parking Lot on MLK Jr. Blvd.
On Thursday, the state Health and Human Services Department reported 44% of Orange County’s cases were among people ages 18 to 24. That age group also accounts for 15% of the state’s total caseload.
The university moved classes online for the fall just one week after beginning the semester after a spike in coronavirus cases at UNC. UNC gave students a few days off to adjust to the situation as many moved out off campus after seeing multiple COVID-19 clusters in campus dorms and UNC fraternity and sorority houses. The students returned to their remote coursework when undergraduate classes resumed Wednesday.
Staff writer Drew Jackson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
