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Aug. 17, 2020, 3:07 PM CDT
By Wilson Wong
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced Monday it was converting to virtual classes after reporting 135 new COVID-19 cases and four clusters within a week of starting classes for the fall semester — an outcome many critics feared as the university decided to reopen its campus.
“After consultation with state and local health officials, #UNC’s infectious disease experts and the UNC system, Carolina is making two changes to de-densify campus,” the school announced on Twitter Monday afternoon. “On Wednesday, Aug. 19, all undergraduate instruction will shift to remote learning.”
The shift was announced within an hour of updated case counts being added on the school’s CV-19 dashboard, which tracks metrics like tests conducted, positive cases, and isolation and quarantine capacity.
The dashboard Monday showed 135 new positive COVID-19 cases — 130 students and fives employees — for the week of Aug. 10 to Aug. 16.
