The latest cluster, defined as five or more cases in the neighborhood, was traced to the Hinton James residence, UNC said Sunday. The individuals in the cluster have been identified. They isolate and receive medical monitoring, the university said.
On Saturday, UNC announced a cluster of coronavirus cases at the Sigma Nu fraternal. And on Friday, the university identified a cluster at the Ehringhaus Community, a residential area, and at the Granville Towers, a private apartment complex that serves as a housing option for some students.
The clusters illustrate the challenges of reopening schools and bringing people into the neighborhood, while Covid-19 is widely distributed across the state and country. North Carolina has a seven-day average of about 1,200 new cases of coronavirus per day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Young people generally have less severe outcomes of Covid-19 infection, but they are not immune to the virus and can spread it to others.
The clusters also show how fast coronavirus can spread through a volume community. On Thursday, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bob Blouin praised the community’s compliance with its coronavirus rules.
“It’s great to hear reports from faculty and staff and to experience for myself the excellent compliance on campus this week,” he wrote. “Our goal is certainly full participation both on campus and off among all members of our Carolina community.”
UNC says it will not release information on individual positive cases, but those who have come into close contact with individuals who test positive have been notified.
The Sigma Nu National Headquarters has provided Covid-19 information and resources for fraternal members. The national fraternity did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
CNN’s Alaa Elassar, Kay Jones, Jordan Nash and Elaine Walker have contributed to this report.
