Citing drop in county’s COVID-19 rate, UNC Charlotte resumes some in-class learning
Citing an “ongoing decline” in Mecklenburg County’s COVID-19 infection rate, UNC Charlotte will resume in-class learning on Thursday for students in some academic disciplines.
The school is experiencing record enrollment, with more than 30,000 students registered for the fall semester, propelling it to No. 2 in the UNC system, UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber announced on Sept. 21.
However, the school is taking a “measured approach” because of the virus, by letting students in only some disciplines return to classroom buildings, Gaber said in a video on the school’s website.
Since July 2, 178 UNC Charlotte students and 32 employees have reported testing positive for COVID-19, whether on campus or elsewhere, according to the university’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
Seven are active on-campus cases, meaning those students and employees met CDC guidelines for quarantine or isolation in the past two weeks and were on campus during the period. That required contact tracing for other employees or students, according to the university.
To prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, everyone on campus must wear facial coverings, follow social-distancing requirements and complete a daily health check, she said.
Those who skip the daily check, which is required of all faculty, staff and students whether they are on campus or not, will have their credentials suspended until they do, according to the university.
To further prevent spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, dorms are now one student per room. COVID-19 testing and a contact tracing method are in place on campus, officials said.
As of Tuesday, residence halls were at about 52% of maximum occupancy, or 3,100 residents for fall 2020, spokeswoman Buffie Stephens said.
COVID-19 cases ‘probable’
The university also is sampling and monitoring wastewater for the virus at several campus sites, including residence halls.
And UNC Charlotte will continue to limit gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors, which officials note is stricter than the limits in North Carolina’s phased reopening plan.
Despite such safety measures, Gaber cautioned, COVID-19 cases are still “probable” on campus.
“I want to be clear that believing we can offer on-campus instruction with appropriate safety measures in place does not mean we believe we can open without any instances of the virus in our community,” the chancellor said on the university’s website.
“Positive cases of COVID-19 on campus are probable, but if we work together, we believe they can be responsibly managed through isolation, quarantine and appropriate medical care,” Gaber said. “We are seeing similar outcomes at other institutions in the System and around the country.”
Local health officials say the spread of COVID-19 in Charlotte and the surrounding area is stable, with the positivity rate at 5.2% as of Sept. 23, according to the latest available data, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The number of people needing hospital-level care for coronavirus complications has been generally falling since late July.
Cases rise among young adults
Yet federal officials reported higher incidences of the virus this summer among young adults than other age groups.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that adults aged 20-29 accounted for more than 20% of total COVID-19 cases between June and August., more than any other age group, McClatchy News reported. An agency study suggested 20-somethings are a major driver of community spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Cases in that age range nearly doubled from 9% early in the pandemic to 16% in September, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, McClatchy News reported on Sept. 25. Many of the cases are on college campuses.
Chad Dorrill, a 19-year-old Appalachian State University student and former high school basketball star from Thomasville, died due to complications from the coronavirus, his parents and former team said in a statement Monday, McClatchy News reported.
Students return to campus
At UNC Charlotte, the return of some in-class learning followed ”many conversations internally and with local health officials,” Gaber said.
Engineering, architecture, science lab, and studio and performance art classes will resume in campus buildings Thursday, as will clinical programs in the college of health and human services.
Courses serving mostly first-year students — freshmen and transfers — also will resume on campus, UNC Charlotte officials said. All other courses will stay online.
All classes and exams will move online after the Thanksgiving break, and no decision has been made about the spring semester, officials said.
According to the chancellor, the school’s plan allows for “a measured level of on-campus learning .... while still lessening the total number of people in classroom buildings and residence halls.”
“While we wish all members of Niner Nation could be on campus, we will take our time in ensuring a safe environment in which that can happen,” Gaber said
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 2:23 PM.