COVID cases are on the rise, now accounting for a third of all Washtenaw County cases

ANN TREE – COVID-19 cases have increased at the University of Michigan, now accounting for 34 percent of all cases in Washtenaw County, university officials said Tuesday.

In the update, officials also shared that 11 off-campus residences are now in quarantine due to positive cases or face-to-face meetings that took place during the recommended stay at the school, which expires at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February. 7. This includes college students, graduates, and professionals living on and off campus.

The Washtenaw County Health Department urged the recommendation as several new cases of the highly contagious new variant B117 COVID-19 were reported on campus. All UM sports have been stopped since Jan. 23 due to variant outbreaks in the department.

Announcements

Read: University of Michigan students asked to stay home to curb the spread of the virus

The number of quarantined residences has doubled since Saturday due to new positive cases and possible exposures.

Those in quarantine receive emerging tests on day five of their 14-day isolation and all students are encouraged to be tested for the virus each week, even if they are asymptomatic.

Read: The University of Michigan identifies virus outbreaks in off-campus homes

According to UM’s COVID board, the university has reported 438 positive cases in the last 14 days and had administered 36,065 tests in the same time period. According to preliminary data, the positivity rate jumped the week that began Jan. 31 to 14.3%, compared to 1.3% the previous week.

Announcements

Starting Feb. 3, UM will offer free saliva-based COVID-19 testing for Ann Arbor residents living near campus.

For more information on when and where the tests will be held for city residents, click here.

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