UNC officials on Saturday reported a new cluster of COVID-19 cases at Avery Residence Hall, the university’s first cluster since classes began on Wednesday.

State health officials define a “cluster” as “five or more cases that are deemed close proximity in location.” UNC officials say there are five cases associated with this cluster.

All five individuals “are isolated and receiving medical monitoring,” according to the university’s statement.

While this is UNC’s first cluster of COVID cases since classes began, it’s the university’s second cluster in August: earlier in the month, UNC reported six cases related to an outdoor event at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

According to UNC’s Carolina Together COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 173 positive cases on campus so far this month, involving 128 students and 45 employees.

Learn more about the university’s COVID-19 plans.

This semester, UNC is requiring all students to either get the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing. Starting Monday, nonvaccinated students will have to be tested at least twice a week. The Carolina Together dashboard shows 88 percent of students and 81 percent of faculty and staff have attested to being vaccinated.

So far in August, UNC has conducted more than 5,000 COVID tests at its on-campus testing facility. Of those, 106 have come back positive, for a positivity rate of 2.08 percent.

Most of the positive tests have involved students and employees who showed no symptoms of COVID-19: 64 asymptomatic students and three asymptomatic employees have tested positive for COVID since the beginning of the month. UNC has not released data on how many of those students and employees were vaccinated – but health officials say the COVID vaccines are effective at reducing symptoms of the virus, even in those rare instances when “breakthrough” cases occur.

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz reiterated that message in a statement to the campus community on Friday, urging students and staff to get vaccinated. “The vaccines are safe, effective and free,” he said. “They reduce the contagion period, as well as the severity and length of illness if you become infected.”

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