After surge in COVID-19 cases, Elon University raises alert level twice in five days

ELON — Elon University has increased its on-campus alert status after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases among students.

The private university announced its heightened alert level Monday after a sharp rise in cases late last week and over the weekend. Elon is now operating at High Alert — the second-highest of four alert levels — and has made a few changes to classroom instruction and other campus operations.

As of Monday afternoon, according to the university's COVID-19 dashboard, Elon has 90 active cases, 131 total cases since mid-August and 279 students in quarantine and isolation because they've contracted the virus or might have the disease.

Elon moved to Moderate Alert last Thursday after recording 25 new student cases of COVID-19, largely among student-athletes. That number also includes a cluster of cases among the football team, which, like five other Elon sports teams, isn't competing this fall. A cluster is defined as five or more cases in a proximate space such as a dorm or locker room.

The university said the spread among student-athletes "appears to be primarily related to social contacts outside of normal team activities."

Elon said last week that it has suspended in-person workouts, weight training sessions and all other sports operations indefinitely.

Elon recorded another 32 positive tests among students last Friday — the largest one-day total since the university started measuring in May — and another 20 among students over the weekend.

Two Elon employees tested positive Saturday.

Another eight positive tests among students were reported Monday.

The university in its announcement Monday said the increase in new cases "has been mainly through close social interactions among individuals and small groups without wearing masks or proper distancing. There is no evidence that the surge in cases is due to large parties or to interactions in classrooms, campus facilities or dining halls."

Because of the rise in the campus alert level, Elon has taken several steps to slow the spread of COVID-19. Among the measures: Some in-person classes where significant numbers of students have tested positive will move online temporarily. All residence halls have been closed to visitors. And all students living in campus housing with shared bathrooms have been assigned to a specific bathroom.

Elon said a Cone Health mobile testing unit was on campus Monday to check 300 people who had indirect recent contact with those who have tested positive. 

Elon's current High Alert status is one level below Very High Alert, or Level 4. If Elon reaches Level 4 because of further and significant increases in COVID-19 cases, the university will consider suspending in-person instruction and campus activities for at least two weeks and order most employees to work from home.

Current cases

Here are COVID-19 numbers at other area colleges and universities as of Monday; click on each school's name for a link to their online dashboards: 

UNCG: 17 cases (15 among students) reported Sept. 14-20; 86 total cases (76 among students) reported since July 1.

N.C. A&T: 8 positive tests (5 among students) reported Sept. 11-17; 62 cases reported (40 among students) since July 1.

Winston-Salem State: 1 new case (off-campus student) in the 24 hours preceding Sept. 18; 40 cases total since March 1.

UNC School of the Arts: No active cases; 4 total cases (1 student, 3 employees) since July 1.

Wake Forest University: 62 current cases; 118 total cases since Aug. 17. The university is operating under condition Yellow: New Normal Campus Operations.

High Point University: 136 active cases (129 among students), which is 2.06 percent of the university's population of students and employees.

Guilford College: 4 active cases; 16 total cases year to date.

Greensboro College: 3 active cases (all students); 12 total cases (7 among students) since March.

Forsyth Tech: 4 total cases (all students) since May 23.

Bennett College and Salem College are both conducting their fall semesters remotely. GTCC does not maintain an online COVID-19 dashboard.