Clusters Notification — Feb. 9
Students, faculty and staff:
East Carolina University has identified two clusters of COVID-19 cases within Ballard Hall-West — formerly Gateway-West — (five cases) and White Hall (five cases).
A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onset or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiological link between cases. “Location” is defined as a single residential hall or dwelling. A group moves from the active category after going 28 days without a new positive case.
The individuals in this cluster have been identified and we are working closely with our partners at the Pitt County Health Department. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. 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 this cluster 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.
Cluster announcements are posted on ECU’s coronavirus website and on university social media accounts.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches or a cough, should immediately contact their medical provider or Student Health Services, (252) 328-6841.
The University will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and FERPA, as well as other privacy considerations.
Visit the Return of Pirate Nation site for more information about the university’s screening and testing guidelines. ECU’s COVID Dashboard contains the latest information on cases campus.