Students at the University of Michigan have received a stay-in-place order from local authorities after coronavirus infections skyrocketed at the Ann Arbor campus.
The order will be in effect until Nov. 3 and undergraduate students at the college will be forced to stay in their residence halls unless they are going to class, eating at a dining hall or doing work that can’t be done remotely, the Washtenaw County Health Department said in a statement.
COVID-19 infections among University of Michigan students account for 60 percent of local cases, according to the statement.
“The situation locally has become critical, and this order is necessary to reverse the current increase in cases,” county health officer Jimena Loveluck said in a statement.
“We must continue to do what we can to minimize the impact on the broader community and to ensure we have the public health capacity to fully investigate cases and prevent additional spread of illness,” he added.
The university will also move more classes fully remote in response to the emergency order.
“We hope this additional guidance on limiting social activities reverses the trend of increased cases related to social gatherings,” Robert Ernst, the associate vice president for student life at the school, said.
The county has recorded 4,229 confirmed cases as of Oct. 19, with 60 percent of those caused by students at the school.
Violators of the order will be subject to a fine, the county said.
