CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Several North Carolina universities are starting the spring semester virtually as students return to school after a holiday break marked by a COVID-19 surge.

What You Need To Know

UNC Charlotte, UNC Asheville and Duke University are beginning the semester with virtual classes

Remote learning will be used for at least a week before in-person classes resume 

The schools hope to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus after a winter holiday surge

The state saw a high of over 19,000 new positive cases on Friday, according to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services data, after over 18,000 new infections were reported Thursday.

UNC Charlotte on Friday announced that the first two weeks of classes in January will be conducted virtually in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus on campus.

“While we remain committed to providing our students an on-campus experience, we must do so as safely as possible,” university officials said in a news release. “By moving to virtual classes for two weeks, we hope to get past the holiday surge of the omicron variant, reduce the spread of the virus in our on-campus population and minimize disruptions to instruction.”

Classes are set to begin as scheduled on Jan. 10, but they will be conducted virtually through Jan. 24.

UNC Asheville also announced Friday that the new semester would open with remote learning.

In an email to students and staff, the school said the first week of classes will be remote. While instruction will start as scheduled Jan. 10, in-person learning will not begin until Jan. 18.

And Duke University on Friday updated its return to school policy, extending the requirement for classes to be conducted remotely through Jan. 18. The school previously said classes would be virtual through Jan. 10.

Duke officials said they had followed with "great concern the extraordinarily rapid spread of the Omicron variant in our communities and around the world."

Elizabeth City State University announced on social media Friday a delay to the spring semester, in which classes were set to begin Jan. 11. The school did not specify when the semester would start.

UNC Charlotte officials said athletic events will be conducted without spectators the first two weeks of the semester, and they urged students who live on campus to delay their return until Jan. 19-23 for the start of in-person classes.

University offices will be open, but staff are encouraged to work remotely, school officials said.