Wednesday, March 25, 2020

As coronavirus testing increases, so will the amount of confirmed cases in our community. While some of the cases will be travel-related, some will be community-spread, meaning the source of the infection will be unclear. (Yesterday New Hanover County announced its first confirmed case of community transmission.) In addition, with most students and employees off campus, there is no guarantee that UNCW will be made aware of all cases with a campus connection. As such, UNCW has determined, in cooperation with New Hanover County Public Health, that our students and employees will be better served by relying on only one official source, New Hanover County Public Health, for notification of positive cases in our area. UNCW will continue to provide emergency notifications when there is an immediate on-campus threat to the health or safety of students or employees.
 
We urge all employees and students (and their families) register for emergency alerts from New Hanover County by visiting this page (under “Stay Informed”).
 
Regardless of increasing community spread, students and employees should continue doing what has been previously advised: practice good prevention techniques, monitor their own health and contact health care providers if they believe they’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms. If students are feeling unwell, they should call the Student Health Center (910.962-5087) if they are on campus or in the Wilmington area, or call their local health care provider. Employees who aren’t feeling well should call their health care providers.
 
Anyone personally notified of a confirmed case of coronavirus among people they’ve recently been around should self-quarantine for 14 days. Students and employees who have questions, or who have tested positive for coronavirus, should contact the Student Health Center (910.962-5087 or coronavirus@uncw.edu).
 
Please register today to ensure you will have the latest information on how the coronavirus is affecting our county. Thank you for your continued vigilance.