UNC reported a new COVID-19 cluster detected at Rams Village Building 3 on the Chapel Hill campus on Wednesday.

This is the sixth COVID-19 cluster identified at UNC in 2021 and the second in less than a week. On April 15, a cluster was detected at Hinton James Residence Hall.

A “cluster” is defined by health officials as a five or more cases that are deemed close proximity in location – such as in a single residential hall. UNC reports that there are currently five cases within this cluster, with several close contacts in quarantine.

Per an email sent to students, all Rams Village Building 3 residents will be required to get a COVID-19 test unless they have tested at one of the Carolina Together Testing Centers in the past 24 hours, are in quarantine or isolation, or have tested positive in the past 90 days.

UNC’s COVID-19 dashboard shows that 768 students and 175 employees have tested positive since January 2021. Additionally, the dashboard shows that the Rams Village and Hinton James Residence Hall clusters are currently the only active clusters on campus.

Overall, the university is reporting a 0.4 percent positivity rate from on campus testing (611 tests have returned positive from 165,888 tests overall).

Under UNC’s new testing program for the spring semester, asymptomatic students living in Chapel Hill or Carrboro are required to get tested once per week at one of three UNC testing locations. Students living on campus or taking in person courses are to be tested twice per week.

According to the university, the individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. UNC has also notified the Orange County Health Department and is working with them to identify additional potential exposures. 

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