UNC alerted the campus community of four identified clusters of COVID-19 cases within dorms and a fraternity house over the weekend.

An AlertCarolina message posted at 2:40 p.m. on Friday said positive clusters have been recorded in Granville Towers and the Ehringhaus Community. The message did not specify the total number of students who tested positive. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services defines a “cluster” as five or more cases that are deemed close proximity.

“The individuals in these clusters have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring,” reads the message. “We have also notified the Orange County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures.”

On Saturday, another message confirmed that a cluster of cases had been confirmed at the UNC Sigma Nu fraternity house located at 109 Fraternity Court. On Sunday, a fourth message from the university confirmed another cluster on at the on-campus Hinton James residence Hall. The individuals in both clusters have been identified and are isolating.

The university said all residents within the two residence halls either have been or will be providing additional information about the clusters. Contact tracing of those in direct communication with the positive students has been initiated.

UNC did not specify whether the cases announced within the clusters were the same cases reflected on the university’s COVID-19 Dashboard page earlier in the week. Updated every Monday, the web page shows testing data of students and employees. Earlier in the week, 10 positive student cases and one employee were reported for the week of August 3 through August 9.

On Tuesday, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told The Washington Post on-campus housing privileges for three students have been revoked for failure to follow public health guidelines. It’s one element of the university’s plan to enforce its community standards amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as disenrollment from courses and restriction of access from campus buildings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines for higher education institutions, UNC’s plan of opening its dorms for the potential of full capacity qualifies as the “highest risk” for spread of COVID-19. Ahead of the school year, the university allowed students to withdraw from their housing contracts in order to lower the occupancy of dorms. The latest housing data from UNC shows Granville Towers is less than 77 percent occupied, while the total on-campus occupancy rate is nearly 61 percent.

Classes for UNC began on Monday last week, with most students having returned to on-campus housing starting August 3.

To read the full AlertCarolina message, visit the emergency alert system’s website.

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