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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.

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.

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