More than 70 students test positive for COVID-19 at Wingate University

WINGATE, N.C. — Wingate University is dealing with 76 cases of COVID-19. Less than a month ago, the university resumed in-person learning. Since then, it has seen a rise in cases -- with a spike in the last week.

On Monday, the university’s dashboard showed 72 of those cases are students and the other four are staff members.

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There are about 3,600 Wingate students on three campuses.

Campus life will continue at Wingate, for now. The school is looking into its virus cases to find out if they’re linked and how. The University’s Provost, Dr. Jeff Frederick, said they’re not going to switch to full online learning, but he also said they don’t know what the future will look like.

Antione Witherspoon, a Wingate freshman from Charlotte, wanted a college experience, but this isn’t the one he had in mind.

“If I knew COVID would be around so long, I would’ve went to community college and been in a virtual class.” Witherspoon said.

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He’s still doing everything he can to protect himself, especially since getting an alert that 72 students and four staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

“Hand sanitizer, got it in my car right here. I got my mask, I got like three masks in my car. So I feel like if I’m doing what they say I’m doing, I shouldn’t get it.” he said.

Of the 72 active student cases, Wingate leaders say 38 are on campus, but 45 students are being isolated at the university. Others are in off-campus housing or in hotels. Another 169 students are in quarantine as a precaution until they’re tested.

Frederick said they don’t yet know for sure how the infected students caught the virus.

“There is freedom on a college campus to engage in all sorts of things, mainly outdoors this semester, but that sort of limits our ability to be able to say we know, 'this happened on this day and this is what caused it.” he said.

Here’s an update on COVID cases at @WingateUniv

-76 active cases, including 4 employees.

-Of those, 38 are on campus; but 45 students are in isolation on campus.

-169 students are in quarantine on campus as a precaution and need to be tested for the virus. @wsoctv
— Blaine Tolison (@BTolisonWSOC9) October 5, 2020

The school is working with Union County health officials on contact tracing.

Some students say it’s tough, seeing classmates move back home and getting COVID alerts on their phones, but they’re trying their best.

Acacia Brooks is a STEM student and spoke with Channel 9 while picking up pre-prepared boxed meals from the dining hall.

“It makes you uneasy and nervous, but I try my hardest to not focus on that and just try to focus on school.” Brooks said.

University officials said they’re going to be looking at all of this very closely to see how this semester goes and how they want to operate going into next semester in January.

Senior Kayla Pierce said even she had a close call.

“So, I went and got a test done at CVS,” Pierce said. “Luckily it came back negative.”

A university spokesperson said in an email that the vice president of operations spoke with at least one of the neighbors reiterating they’ve asked students to stay indoors and away from other people while isolating.

“Our biggest thing is the college hasn’t really been transparent about it at all,” neighbor Jeremy Bess said.

Wingate University knows firsthand the impact of this virus. Back in July, an employee in the school’s computer center, Ann Deese, passed away from complications due to the virus. She had been with the school for 31 years.