UVA students point fingers at fraternities as cause of spike in COVID-19 cases The university said it would investigate all credible reports of violations within all groups of students. (Source: WVIR) By Elizabeth Holmes | February 17, 2021 at 6:50 PM EST - Updated February 17 at 11:30 PM CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - On Wednesday, University of Virginia’s COVID-19 Tracker showed 229 new cases among students, displaying a growing trend of positive cases among that started earlier this month. In response to the spike in cases, the university is taking action by limiting nearly all in-person activities beyond going to class or grabbing a meal. Now, many students are speaking out, saying the spike in positive cases can be attributed to the actions of fraternities from January 31 and during rush events.