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UPDATE: 51 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed on GA Tech campus

ATLANTA — UPDATE:

Georgia Tech officials reported 51 more confirmed cases of coronavirus on campus Sunday, the day after the university announced a fraternity house was under lockdown due to an outbreak.

Officials did not say Sunday whether the affected students were also members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Each student who tested positive for the virus will either return home or move to isolation housing providing by the university.

The university has had a total of 302 cases of the virus since March.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Georgia Tech officials said Saturday that 33 more students have tested positive for COVID-19 on campus, including 17 members of the same Greek residence.

Officials with Sigma Phi Epsilon said Saturday night that the outbreak as at their residence.

At least 8 other students in Greek housing tested positive at the end of last week. It’s unclear if all of those students live at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house.

"In addition to the cluster of Greek housing residents who live in the same Greek residence near campus reported via a campus communication yesterday, 17 more members of the organization tested positive today," officials wrote.

TRENDING:

School officials did not identify which Greek organization was affected, but Sigma Phi Epsilon issued a statement confirming it was their house on Saturday night.

“for the past several days, we have dealt with a spike in COVID-19 cases among our members,” the organization wrote on Instagram. “As of three days ago, our house was locked down to non-residents, and we have been working closely with our Alumni and Volunteer Corporation, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Georgia Tech Administration to test all other members of our chapter and isolate those positive members, in compliance with requests from administration.”

Officials said all residents in the house have been tested and Georgia Tech is turning the residence into an isolation location. Students who have not tested positive will relocate elsewhere to quarantine.

"If you have had recent contact with any residents of Greek housing, please get tested at one of the free Georgia Tech testing sites," officials wrote.

Students returned to class at Georgia Tech on August 17. Students held a die-in on campus that day, protesting the return to in-person instruction.

At least 251 students at Tech have tested positive for the virus.