EAGLE ALERT
August 27, 2020
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases on campus. The cluster was in Baynes Residence Hall involving student-athletes who are part of the football team. All students who tested positive have been isolated. Contact tracing is actively underway. The university has reported the cluster to the Durham County Health Department and is awaiting verification.
A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.
Additionally as part of the university’s surveillance program, NCCU will continue to test all students who live in residence halls.
The individuals in this cluster are working closely with Apex Solutions, the university’s third party vendor for testing, tracing and consultation. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. Those identified as a close contact will be notified directly and provided with further guidance.
We are sending you this Eagle Alert Emergency Notification as a requirement of the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act, which guides what health and safety information universities share with their campus.
Anyone experiencing symptoms as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of COVID-19, which include fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or a cough, should immediately contact their medical provider and report to the University COVID-19 hotline (919-530-3219). Testing is available Monday-Friday by appointment and students are referred for testing by Student Health medical providers.
The University will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as well as other privacy considerations.
The NCCU Coronavirus website and COVID-19 Dashboard will be updated regularly; we encourage community members to reference these resources frequently.
Students: To report a positive COVID-19 test result or close contact with a known COVID-19 positive person, please call 919-370-0901. Faculty and Staff should call 919-530-3219 and select option “2.”
