All MSU students should self-quarantine after major COVID-19 outbreak
East Lansing — The Ingham County Health Department is recommending all Michigan State University students self-quarantine immediately to contain a coronavirus outbreak from which at least 342 people have tested positive for the disease since Aug. 24.
“This is an urgent situation,” Ingham County Health Officer Linda S. Vail said in a statement. “The exponential growth of COVID-19 cases must stop.
“I am concerned about the health and safety of the MSU community, and importantly, I am seriously concerned that unchecked transmission locally will affect the health and safety of all Ingham County residents. If we do not slow the spread immediately, we will be dealing with the consequences across the county for months to come.”
The health department says those who have been at MSU should self-quarantine for 14 days, which is until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 26. The recommendation is not an emergency order, but the department warned of more stringent and mandatory restrictions if students don’t comply.
In the three weeks prior to the case surge, just 23 MSU-affiliated people tested positive, the health department said.
Students in quarantine should remain at home for the next two weeks other than to attend in-person instruction, labs and intercollegiate athletic training. They may also leave their homes to work or obtain food, medicine, medical care or supplies needed to sustain or protect life (when those supplies cannot be obtained via delivery), the health department said.
The uptick in cases began as students returned to the East Lansing community for the fall semester. Although MSU classes are predominately online, many students had binding off-campus leases or simply desired to physically return to the university community.
“MSU is committed to doing everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Michigan State University Physician Dr. David Weismantel said in the statement. “The safety of our entire community is a priority and we all have a role to play in preventing the spread of the virus. This recommendation from the health department is another tool to help us do just that.”
At least a third of new cases recently attended parties or social gatherings, and at least one third of those gatherings are associated with a fraternity or sorority.
“We are urging students to understand the imperative role that they play in stopping this community spread and, ultimately, saving lives,” East Lansing Mayor Aaron Stephens said. “While we know many students are doing the right thing, we are still seeing far too many social gatherings in the off-campus community, where individuals are in close contact without face coverings. This person-to-person contact is the main way that the virus spreads and has contributed significantly to the recent spike in student cases. We support this recommendation from the Ingham County Health Department.”
The health department will evaluate congregate settings, such as houses licensed for more than 10 unrelated people over the coming days to see if additional measures are warranted.
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