New COVID-19 Dorm Cluster Pegged to Winter Break Residents

Posted on Jan. 13, 2021

The University on Wednesday announced that it had identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Carmichael Residence Hall.

A cluster is defined by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services as five or more cases that are deemed to be in close physical proximity in location. Location is defined as a single residential hall or dwelling.

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. The University has notified the Orange County Health Department and is working with that department to identify additional potential exposures.

This cluster involves students who lived in Carmichael over winter break and were identified through evaluation testing. People identified as close contacts to this cluster have been identified, tested and moved to quarantine, UNC reported. Dorm move-in for the spring semester started Wednesday.

Carolina will begin a testing program for COVID-19 more rigorous than last fall’s. All undergraduate students planning to live on campus and in Chapel Hill or Carrboro will be required to take a test at home prior to arrival as well as regular testing twice a week, even if they aren’t displaying symptoms.

Testing for graduate students will depend on their interactions on campus and the requirements determined by their program. Those coming to campus to teach, learn or work in a lab will be required to test regularly, while some will be required to use UNC’s Daily Health Checklist to monitor symptoms. Testing will be voluntary.

Faculty and staff working on campus will be asked to check for symptoms before coming to work each day.

UNC will use HallPass, a web-based app developed by UNC faculty that will administer the testing and contact tracing program.

Classes are set to start Jan. 19, but there will be no in-person classes until Feb. 8 due to the surge in the pandemic.

Campus information related to the pandemic is at carolinatogether.unc.edu.

The COVID-19 dashboard  is intended to enable the public to track and analyze the impact on the campus and community.

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