A confirmed case of the novel 

coronavirus 
(COVID-19) 
at 

the Vic Village-North student 

apartment building on Central 

Campus was announced by the 

leasing office in an email to 

residents Friday afternoon. It is 

the first case to be discovered at 

either student on-campus or off-

campus housing at the University 

of Michigan, though it remains 

unclear if the individual is a 

student. 

In the email, the leasing office 

reminded students of guidelines 

and recommendations from the 

Centers for Disease Control on 

minimizing exposure and spread 

of the virus.

“Now that we have a confirmed 

case, 
the 
guidelines 
and 

recommendations from the CDC 

relating to the coronavirus are 

even more pertinent,” the email 

reads.

Earlier 
Friday 
afternoon, 

University of Michigan President 

Mark 
Schlissel 
announced 
a 

University-affiliated 
individual 

had tested positive for COVID-19. 

According to the announcement, 

the individual is self-isolating in 

Ann Arbor. It is unclear whether 

that case is the same as the one 

confirmed in Vic Village. 

In its email to residents, Vic 

Village said it has contracted 

a third-party cleaning service 

to perform a deep cleaning of 

the building on Friday night. 

The usual cleaning service will 

also enhance its “normal daily 

cleaning 
protocol.” 
The 
Vic 

Village leasing office did not 

reply to request for comment in 

time for publication. 

On Friday morning, President 

Donald 
Trump 
declared 
the 

coronavirus outbreak a national 

emergency. There are currently 

25 confirmed COVID-19 cases 

in Michigan as of Friday night, 

including three in Washtenaw 

County. 

In a video posted online Friday, 

Jimena Loveluck, health officer 

at the Washtenaw County Public 

Health Department, discussed 

the status of the outbreak.

Despite numerous warnings from 

University of Michigan officials and 

public health authorities, some students 

still attended parties and went out 

to bars in the nights following the 

University’s decision to move classes 

online on Wednesday and in celebration 

of St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday. 

In response to the novel coronavirus 

(COVID-19) 
pandemic, 
President 

Donald Trump declared a national 

state of emergency Friday morning. 

The United States currently has more 

than 1,600 positive cases of the virus, 

including 33 in Michigan as of Sunday 

morning — with four in Washtenaw 

County, one of which was confirmed 

in the student apartment building Vic 

Village on Friday afternoon.

The official University Twitter 

account emphasized the importance 

of 
minimizing 
social 
gatherings 

in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on 

Saturday night.

“Gathering socially in dense groups 

is not safe,” the tweet reads. “Please 

avoid large groups and confined 

spaces this weekend and in celebrating 

#StPatricksDay. We can lead by being 

responsible. #GoBlue!”

On 
Wednesday 
night, 
the 

Interfraternity 
Council 
and 
the 

Panhellenic 
Council, 
two 
groups 

overseeing 
many 
fraternities 
and 

sororities on-campus, suspended all 

social events, including those meant 

for St. Patrick’s Day, in light of the 

coronavirus outbreak. According to 

a statement shared with The Daily, 

these cancellations are due to the size 

of social events and the concern of 

disease transmission. 

LSA sophomore Sameer Matta, 

a member of the fraternity Alpha 

Tau Omega, said he agrees with the 

councils’ decision to cancel social 

events for the semester. 

“Sure, it’s a letdown at first, because 

(St. Patrick’s Day) is an event we all 

look forward to, especially people in 

Greek life,” Matta said. “But at the end 

of the day, it’s definitely much more 

important that we take initiative so 

the virus doesn’t spread anymore. 

And having a party would be a very 

prominent social gathering, so I think 

shutting it down was definitely the 

right thing to do.”

On his Twitter, Regent Jordan Acker 

(D) also encouraged students to avoid 

going to bars. In an interview with 

The Daily, Acker said he understands 

the disappointment students may 

feel regarding the cancellation of 

festivities. However, he emphasized 

the seriousness of the coronavirus 

situation.

“As someone who not that long ago 

would’ve longed to spend St. Patrick’s 

Day at Skeeps or Rick’s, I know that’s 

what students want to do right now,” 

Acker said. 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, March 16, 2020

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

‘A selfish thing to do’: Students attend house 
parties, go to bars against recommendations

CDC urges people to avoid large events with more than 50 attendees in efforts to slow spread of virus

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Students continue to go to bars and parties at night despite numerous warnings from University of Michigan officials and public health authorities.

CLAIRE HAO
Daily News Editor 

See SOCIALIZING, Page 2

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 84
©2019 The Michigan Daily

N E W S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit
Follow The Daily 
on Instagram, 
@michigandaily

HEALTH

The 
University 
of 
Michigan 

announced the decision to cancel 

in-person classes three days after 

students returned from Spring Break, 

initiating a wave of uncertainty and 

concern.

On March 5, four days before 

classes resumed from Spring Break, 

University President Mark Schlissel 

and Chief Health Officer Preeti 

Malani sent an email to the University 

community addressing COVID-19 

precautions and recommendations 

the University planned to implement. 

University’s response 
to outbreak questioned

KRISTINA ZHENG 

Daily Staff Reporter 

Students 
respond to 
COVID-19

COVID-19 case confirmed at Vic Village

Resident of student apartment building on South University tests positive for virus

See STUDENTS, Page 2

 CLAIRE HAO & 
CALDER LEWIS 
Daily News Editor & 
Daily Staff Reporter

See APARTMENT, Page 2

