Update, 9:15 p.m.: During the Faculty Executive Committee meeting on July 13, Campus Health Executive Director Ken Pittman, discussed two points of exposure to COVID-19 that may have contributed to the 37 positive cases within Carolina Athletics. One of those points was at an off-campus apartment complex.
“Initially, we know that the contacts and then the additional positives were in an off-campus apartment complex where there were a number of individuals that were living together and that were presumably socializing to some extent together once they returned to campus,” Pittman said.
The second point of exposure identified during the meeting was at a restaurant.
“I think that we found also that there was a dinner, where perhaps a group of athletes and others went out,” PIttman said. “And during the time that they were eating obviously were unmasked and maybe not, in this particular restaurant, physically distanced appropriately.”
Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Mario Ciocca highlighted the safety measures within the University’s athletics facilities, including cleaning protocol in training and conditioning rooms, symptom checks, physical distance and face masks and hand sanitizer supplies. He said groups that were screened had all tested negative twice.
“The problem is that it’s very easy to penetrate that bubble when you’re living as a college student in this environment,” Ciocca said. “They have girlfriends or partners or friends that they hang out with or are going to other places, and so it’s very easy for an infection to get in.”
Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said the University will continue following guidance from the ACC, with expectations of receiving updated recommendations by July 22.
Praveena Somasundaram contributed reporting.
