UNC-Chapel Hill reports third cluster of COVID-19 cases

The University of North Carolina (UNC)- Chapel Hill has identified a third cluster of coronavirus cases since the school moved to reopen this fall, health officials announced Saturday.

University officials found a “cluster,” of coronavirus cases in the Sigma Nu fraternity building, an off-campus residence. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as five or more cases that are deemed close proximity in location. 

“The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring,” the university said in a statement. “We have also notified the Orange County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures.”

The news comes a day after UNC reported two separate COVID-19 clusters in Ehringhaus Community and Granville Towers, two other dwellings near the university. The alerts did not say exactly how many cases were found in said clusters.

Sydney Kroll, a student at the university, told CBS 17 she was not surprised about the clusters. 

“The way the last two weeks have been going, it was bound to happen,” Kroll said Friday.

North Carolina experienced a spike in cases in the middle of last month, but has since seen a reprieve, according to data recorded by The New York Times. The southern state has a total over 143,822 cases and 2,370 deaths according to the paper.