ANN ARBOR – Cases of COVID-19 rose on University of Michigan’s campus over the past week, school officials announced in an update on Wednesday.
They said the recent spread was the result of the omicron BA.2 variant, which is more contagious than previous strains.
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On a local level, cases continue to rise in Washtenaw County, which is Michigan’s only county classified as a “medium” community risk level by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials said those who got tested at University Health Service are largely exhibiting mild symptoms. To prevent further spread of the virus, they continue to urge community members to get COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, wear face masks around others and indoors and get tested prior to attending social events or if an exposure should happen with a close contact.
Currently, the school’s Quarantine and Isolation Housing is at 22.5% occupancy.
Meanwhile, universities around the country are reinstating mask mandates as COVID cases increase in the finals weeks of the school year, including Columbia University, Georgetown University and George Washington University, among others.
On March 14, University of Michigan dropped its mask mandate for residence halls, offices and indoor sporting events. Masks continue to be mandatory in classrooms, patient care areas, COVID-19 testing sites, laboratories, classroom extensions, performance spaces and on U-M buses.