(WWJ) The Washtenaw County Health Department is recommending that all local University of Michigan students "stay in place" and avoid gatherings, to help slow the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.
In a release issued in partnership with the university, officials are asking that all students living on or near campus to stay put through February 7.
They're urged to leave their homes for the following reasons only:
• To attend in-person classes, including instructional labs, and access essential technology at designated study areas that provide for single-person study space.
• To pick up food, attend medical appointments, pick up medication, or obtain COVID-19 testing or vaccination.
• To work, including in-person research, only if the work cannot be done remotely.
• To participate in clinical rotations, student teaching or other off-campus experiential learning assignments that are held in person, with approval and disclosure to the organization that both the school and site are aware and supportive of continued participation.
• For physical activity outdoors in groups of no more than two.
• For religious practice activities.
• For volunteering in approved vaccination and testing efforts.
The recommendation is in place immediately through 11:59 p.m. on Feb 7.
This comes as the health department says 175 students have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the winter term. Fourteen of those cases have been confirmed to be the new B.1.1.7 variant, which health officials say is more contagious.
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In a message to all students, faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus, President Mark Schlissel, Provost Susan Collins and Martino Harmon, vice president for student life, said U-M public health and medical professionals stated that "now is the time to implement these additional temporary measures before spread of this more infectious version of COVID-19 threatens to overwhelm our ability to address the virus.
“Pressing the pause button on nonessential activities will help us protect each other from illness and preserve our ability to eventually resume more normal activities as we continue our vaccination efforts.
“Additionally, we need all community members to respond as soon as possible to any public health outreach they may receive (texts, emails or calls) from the county health department and university, and to fully disclose information relevant to case investigation and contact tracing. We need to know immediately where the risk of spread is so we can work to contain COVID-19.”
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U-M students are encouraged to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing on campus through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program. Students with symptoms should seek testing on campus at University Health Service (uhs.umich.edu).
The Health Department also is planning additional no-cost COVID-19 testing events for the broader community, or use the state test locator Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest.
Local COVID-19 information is available at www.washtenaw.org/covid19.