WILMINGTON, N.C. — A North Carolina university said Tuesday that it is splitting roommates in on-campus housing in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
A news release from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington said its housing and residence staff is contacting first-year students living on campus with a roommate about arranging for one of them to move into a single-occupancy room. The school says the new student assignment will be to another residence hall or apartment on the UNC-Wilmington campus, and it will be their assignment for the remainder of the academic year. About 800 students will be affected by the move, the school said.
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The move comes after the school was approached by the New Hanover County Health Department because it said 18-to-24-year-olds represent the largest source of new COVID-19 cases in the county.
Students who choose to return home will receive pro-rated refunds for housing and dining for the remainder of the fall semester. If both roommates want to return home, they will receive pro-rated refunds as well as parking refunds.
As recommended by the health department, students living on campus will not be permitted to move to off-campus housing unless they’re living with parents or guardians.