Multiple COVID-19 clusters on a university campus — North Carolina, August 2020

What is already known about this topic? Before August 2020, minimal data were available about outbreaks and disease transmission in institutes of higher education within the United States. What is added by this report? A North Carolina university experienced a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and clusters within 2 weeks of opening the campus to students. Student gatherings and congregate living settings, both on and off campus, likely contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in this setting. What are the implications for public health practice? Enhanced measures are needed to reduce transmission at institutes of higher education and could include reducing on-campus housing density, ensuring adherence to masking and other mitigation strategies, increasing testing for SARS-CoV-2, and discouraging student gatherings. © 2020 Department of Health and Human Services. All rights reserved.