North Carolina pauses voluntary football workouts after positive COVID-19 tests

North Carolina'sfootball program has shut down voluntary activities after the county's health department identified the campus as a "cluster" for the coronavirus. The school announced Wednesday that 37 people within Tar Heels athletics -- coaches, staff and student-athletes -- tested positive for the virus.

The school announced that it has tested 429 people in its return-to-campus plan, which began on June 12 for coaches and athletes.

The football program will shut down voluntary workouts for at least a week, according to the release.

The school said all those who tested positive and anyone they'd contacted will quarantine for at least 14 days at home or in a campus residence hall specified by the school.

The Orange County Heath Department defined the area as a "cluster," which applies to any space where five or more positive cases are found.

The school had instructed student-athletes to isolate outside of football activities and to wear a mask within the football facilities and in public, according to its return-to-campus guidelines. Those guidelines also state that all student-athletes must have tested negative before they were initially allowed to begin on-campus activities, with follow-up testing after one week or upon showing symptoms.