In an emergency notification on Tuesday, College of Charleston officials said that an employee at the school has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
[content-4] "The College of Charleston was made aware today, Tuesday, March 24, that one of our employees has tested positive for COVID-19," the statement began. "University officials have taken appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety of the campus community. The College and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control will continue to investigate this case as necessary."
The College also says officials are investigating "other potential unconfirmed cases among members of the campus community."
[content-1] At CofC, the term employee usually describes school staff who are not academic professors and instructors, collectively referred to as faculty.
College of Charleston closed campus to stop the spread of the coronavirus on March 12. Students spent last week on spring break and were "strongly encouraged to return home or stay home" during that time. Since then, CofC has notified students that classes will remain online for the rest of the spring semester.
DHEC says there are 342 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in South Carolina, with 36 in Charleston County as of Tuesday.