NC urges all students living at three UNC student housing complexes to get tested for virus

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is directing all current and former residents of three University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill residence halls with coronavirus outbreaks to get tested. As of Thursday, more than 100 cases of the coronavirus were found at Granville Towers. Several more students who came in contact with infected students are under quarantine.

Posted 4:08 p.m. Aug 21, 2020 — Updated 4:21 p.m. Aug 21, 2020

Maggie Brown

, WRAL multiplatform producer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is directing all current and former residents of three University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill residence halls with coronavirus outbreaks to get tested. As of Thursday, more than 100 cases of the coronavirus were found at Granville Towers. Several more students who came in contact with infected students are under quarantine.

Two other dorms have also seen clusters of the coronavirus. Sixteen people tested positive at Ehringhaus, and 17 people tested positive at Hinton James.

UNC reports coronavirus clusters in student housing at Ehringhaus Community and Granville Towers

An email from the university said that they strongly recommend that students get tested before leaving campus to "prevent further spread and protect your family and our communities."

"While you may not have identified as a close contact of someone who has previously been diagnosed with COVID-19," a press release from the university said, "you have an increased risk of exposure and are directed to get tested."

Students who have returned home are also included in this message, the university email said.

The state health department is also urging students to limit their activity to essential and to quarantine for 14 days if they lived in Ehringhaus, Granville Towers or Hinton James.

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