The Washtenaw County Health Department is lifting the two-week stay-in-place order for University of Michigan undergraduate students.
The health department said the proportion of local COVID-19 cases associated with UM students has decreased. The reduction in new university-associated cases allowed case investigators and contact tracers to "catch up," the university said.
However, the number of cases in Washtenaw County remains high, the health department said, and weekly test positivity has increased to nearly 4%.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of the university and its students on this order. We know this is incredibly difficult for all of us,” says Jimena Loveluck, MSW, health officer for Washtenaw County. “We’re thankful for this small bit of good news, but we all must continue to do everything we can to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on each of us and on our community.”
“Recent weeks have left no doubt that the virus continues to circulate and have also confirmed that we can minimize its negative impacts by continuing to use face coverings and distance and cooperating fully with all public health guidance,” continued Loveluck.
More than 60% of cases in the county were associated with UM students when the order was issued on Oct. 20. Now, the health department said student cases represent about a third of local cases, or 33%.
A local order further limiting outdoor gatherings to 25 or fewer people in residential settings in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti remains in effect.
