New COVID-19 clusters reported at UNC-Chapel Hill residence hall and sorority house

T. Keung Hui

RALEIGH, N.C. — UNC-Chapel Hill reported a new COVID-19 outbreak Saturday in a campus-wide alert.

Two clusters were found in Craige residence hall and Alpha Delta Pi sorority house at 411 E. Rosemary St,, the school reported. It brings the number of clusters up to nine total.

The state defines a cluster as five or more cases in close proximity. The university did not give a specific number of new cases in the new outbreak.

The individuals in these clusters have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring, according to the university. UNC also said it has notified the Orange County Health Department and is working with the agency to identify additional potential exposures.

The new clusters come after the school reported a cluster Friday at Carmichael residence hall.

Students returned for mostly online learning in early August. The school has reported five clusters and 177 students in isolation earlier in the week.

Orange County saw a 347% increase in new positive cases this week compared to the prior week.

As of Saturday, the state Health and Human Services Department reports 15% of the state’s total coronavirus caseload among people aged 18 to 24.

On its COVID-19 dashboard, the school reports 3,583 students have been tested with 566 positive results. The data was last updated Friday afternoon.