Two Clusters of COVID-19 Cases Among Students in Pelican Hall and Graham-Hewlett Hall
Thursday, August 27, 2020
As of 6:30 p.m., Aug. 27, 2020, UNCW has identified two (2) clusters of COVID-19 cases among students. Pelican Hall and Graham-Hewlett Hall on campus have one cluster each with a total of 5 students in each cluster.
A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as five or more cases that are deemed in close proximity by location and that occur within a 14-day period.
The individuals involved in these clusters are isolating and receiving medical monitoring and/or treatment as needed. To protect individuals’ private health information, UNCW will not publicly identify students or employees diagnosed with COVID-19. The university publicly shares general information about confirmed cases on its data dashboard, which is updated daily.
The university has informed the New Hanover County Health Department, and contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been in close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes. Those identified as a close contact will be notified directly and provided with further guidance.
We are notifying the campus of these two (2) clusters per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses.
Students with COVID-19 symptoms (i.e., fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, a cough, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) should notify the UNCW Student Health Center at 910.962.3280 or [email protected]. Employees should contact your healthcare provider (let them know you have symptoms when making an appointment), notify your supervisor that you will miss work and then notify the UNCW Student Health Center at 910.962.0587 or [email protected].
As outlined in our Best for the Nest guidelines, UNCW is committed to a culture of personal responsibility for community health and safety. Every member of our community must do their part. This means adhering to national, state, local and campus health guidelines and requirements for the 3Ws (face coverings, physical distancing, hand washing) and gatherings and events.
