UNC begins COVID-19 testing after 'rapid increase' in virus cases

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will test students and employees for COVID-19 on Friday after a "rapid increase" in cases within three residence halls.

Posted 12:50 a.m. Aug 21, 2020 — Updated 12:22 p.m. Aug 21, 2020

Kasey Cunningham

, WRAL reporter

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will test students and employees for COVID-19 on Friday after a "rapid increase" in cases within three residence halls.

The school also announced it has canceled undergraduate classes for Monday and Tuesday so students have time to move back home.

In a letter to students and staff, Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said "we are pausing all undergraduate instruction on Monday, Aug. 24, and Tuesday, Aug. 5 to give students time to move their belongings, catch their breath and make this transition in as equitable a way as possible. Undergraduate classes will resume on Wednesday."

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The move comes days after the university announced it would switch to online classes only after numerous COVID-19 clusters were discovered on campus and at other locations. The university has also been forced to suspend athletic activities due to the outbreaks. That suspension was scheduled to last until 5 p.m. Thursday but was extended to Friday, the school said.

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Also on Thursday, the university announced COVID-19 testing for three students who live in the three residence halls, Ehringhaus, Hinton James and Granville Towers. Employees who work in those residence halls will also be tested. Testing for those employees and students will begin Friday and will continue through Sunday.

On Monday, university officials said, "We were seeing a rapidly escalating increase in the COVID-19 positivity rate and associated clusters on our campus. With an increasing rate of positive tests, it is necessary to conduct large group testing to help identify more cases and help prevent further spread."

The results of the COVID-19 tests will be posted on a dashboard website so the school community can stay informed about the clusters.

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