“The first cases of COVID-
19 in Washtenaw County have
been
confirmed,”
Loveluck
said.
“These
individuals
remain isolated and have been
working closely with the health
department to identify close
contacts and other lower-risk
contacts so they can be notified,
quarantined and alert to the
possibility of symptoms.”
COVID-19 symptoms include
fever,
cough
and
shortness
of breath, which may appear
two to 14 days after exposure.
The virus is thought to spread
through
the
respiratory
droplets of those infected, so
maintaining a distance of at least
six feet between individuals is
recommended.
To
prevent
spreading
the
virus, the CDC recommends
individuals wash their hands
frequently and avoid touching
their faces, advice that Loveluck
reiterated. Those who are sick
should stay home and wear a
facemask.
Unless
caring
for
someone who is sick, CDC
recommends against wearing a
face mask if you are not sick.
On Tuesday night, Whitmer
announced
the
first
two
confirmed cases in Michigan and
declared a state of emergency.
In
response,
the
University
canceled classes for two days
on Wednesday afternoon and is
moving to online classes starting
Monday, March 16 until the end
of the semester.
All spring and summer study
abroad
programs
have
been
called off, and the University
has begun recalling all students
currently
abroad.
Spring
Commencement
was
also
canceled.
Both the University and state
government have implemented
rules
to
encourage
social
distancing.
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer issued an executive
order
banning
all
events
with more than 250 people
in Michigan until April 5 on
Friday morning. The University
has banned all events with
more than 100 people, though
Schlissel
emphasized
in
his
email on Friday that all social
gatherings
in
large
groups
should be avoided.
“We strongly encourage you
to limit interactions in groups
this weekend and in celebrating
St.
Patrick’s
Day,”
Schlissel
wrote. “Reducing the density
of people in physical spaces
will help to prevent the spread
of disease not just within our
community but for society at
large. Even in small groups, we
strongly recommend practicing
social distancing.”
Additionally,
the
city
of
Ann Arbor canceled all city-
permitted events expecting 50
or more people on Thursday
afternoon.
In his email Friday afternoon,
Schlissel
encouraged
all
students who are able to return
home to do so. For students
who stay on campus, University
residence halls and dining halls
will remain open.
Other
institutions
in
the
state,
including
Michigan
State
University,
Washtenaw
Community
College,
Central
Michigan University and Wayne
State
University,
have
also
transitioned
to
online-only
classes.
Additionally,
on
Thursday
afternoon,
Whitmer
ordered
the closure of all Michigan K-12
schools until April 5.
To help those in need of aid
during
the
rapidly-evolving
coronavirus outbreak, a group
of
students
and
organizers
have
gathered
resources
of
community-sourced
options
for housing, food, health care,
transport,
emotional
support
and more.
Local businesses have also
moved to help people whose
lives have been disrupted by the
outbreak. Starting on Monday,
TeaHaus will also be handing
out free boxed lunches to school-
aged children at their sister
location on 211 E. Ann Street.
Daily News Editor Claire Hao
can be reached at cmhao@umich.
edu.
The
email
included
details
regarding
relaxing
documentation
requirements and grade penalties for
students missing class, as well as self-
isolation tips, illness prevention and
campus preparation.
Public Health senior Josie Lee,
president of Curis Public Health
Advocacy, said she was concerned
with the initial response the University
issued to students returning from
Spring Break.
“(From) studying public health, we
see that we can save a lot more money
if we’re preventative than if we’re
reactionary,” Lee said. “I’m kind of
surprised, I felt like knowing that this
was happening in the U.S., and knowing
the potential that Spring Break could
have in bringing the virus to Michigan,
I’m surprised that the University didn’t
take
better-standardized
protocol
or tell their faculty how they could
prepare — maybe even making them
have plans with how they could move
their courses online.”
Public
Health
senior
Emily
Benedict shared similar sentiments.
She worried about the spread of
COVID-19 following Spring Break,
considering many students traveled to
areas affected by the virus.
“In my mind, it’s very unlikely that
no one came back from spring without
an outbreak in their system,” Benedict
said. “I just feel like having classes
those few days potentially allowed
for it to spread. I feel like maybe over
spring break there should have been
more preparation and discussion
knowing people are going to be coming
back from areas that may have had the
virus.”
On Friday afternoon, a case of
COVID-19 was confirmed in student
apartment building Vic Village-North
on Central Campus through an email
sent to residents by the leasing office.
Upon return from Spring Break,
Lee said she felt her classes were not
affected by the precautionary measures
the University recommended in the
email. She noted the limited actions
her classes took and the potential for
students to not follow self-isolation
protocols.
“I think the warnings from the
school, just the emails that we got from
the provost, the deans of our schools
or the president — it was something
that I wonder if it was enough,” Lee
said. “When I was going to my classes,
some of my classes didn’t even entirely
mention how they were going to
handle the situation, or they didn’t
even discuss it, and I feel like some of
the people in those areas might not
have self-isolated, and there might
not have been proper protocols, so I
feel like the warning the school gave
to the students might have not been as
explanatory, or telling, of why it was
important.”
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“But the reality is, even if students
themselves may not get really sick,
some will, and even more could
be carriers of this disease … and
pass it along to people who are
immunocompromised, their parents,
their grandparents. So even if they
don’t feel the effects, gathering in these
spaces, we’ve seen is one of the biggest
ways this disease is spread.”
On Saturday night, Engineering
student Adam Scott went to Rick’s
American Cafe to celebrate St. Patrick’s
Day weekend. Scott said he thinks
the low risk of serious illness for
young people who contract COVID-19
contributes to students coming to bars
against public health recommendations.
“Clearly this is probably a bad idea,
but I think most people don’t care
because it’s a very selfish attitude,” Scott
said. “They don’t think they’re going to
get sick and they really don’t care how it
affects others.”
Rick’s management did not respond
to The Daily’s request for comment in
time for publication.
COVID-19 is considered highly
contagious and thought to be spread
via
infected
respiratory
droplets.
Therefore, the Centers for Disease
Control recommends keeping at least
six feet of distance between individuals.
The CDC also encourages social
distancing, in which people avoid large
social gatherings. By implementing
these preventative techniques, national,
state and local governments hope to
avoid an influx of patients at health
care facilities, a phenomenon that has
crippled other countries, such as Italy,
in their ability to contain and treat the
disease.
On Sunday evening, the CDC also
recommended
the
cancellation
or
postponement
of
events
bringing
crowds of 50 people or more for the next
eight weeks.
Faye Mendelson, Michigan Medicine
employee and University alum, also
went out to Rick’s Saturday night to
reunite with old classmates. Mendolson
told The Daily she thought her personal
health risk of going to a bar was low.
“I feel like people should take it
seriously and they should be safe,”
Mendelson said. “They should take it as
if it’s not just going to affect them, but
it’s going to affect the people around
them and the people that they’re close
to, either family, friends of family or
so forth. But at the same time, I don’t
feel like we should completely close
ourselves off from the world. Just be
smart about it.”
To prevent the spread of the virus, the
University and other colleges in the state
and across the nation have transitioned
to online classes for the remainder of
the semester. Multiple emails Friday
and Saturday from University President
Mark Schlissel, other administrators
and University offices have urged
students to leave campus if they are able
to do so. All University spring and study
abroad programs have been canceled
and the University is recalling students
currently abroad.
All University events expecting
more than 100 people have been
banned, leading to the cancellation of
Spring Commencement, the NCAA
tournament and all spring and winter
sporting competitions, among other
events. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has
banned all events larger than 250, while
the City of Ann Arbor has canceled all
events expecting more than 50.
For LSA senior Caelen Caspers,
Rick’s and other bars hold emotional
significance as places where friends have
always met and enjoyed themselves.
However, she stayed away from what
she described as huge crowds at Rick’s,
especially earlier in the week, when she
said many students saw canceled classes
as an opportunity to party.
“There’s a person at Vic Village who
has (COVID-19), and I didn’t go to Rick’s
on Thursday, but I guarantee they did,”
Caspers said. “I hope they didn’t, but if
they did, how do you not infect people in
that proximity?”
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s
Office has also prohibited all events
larger than 250 and discouraged
events larger than 100. It recommends
canceling gatherings larger than 10
if there is someone with higher risk
of severe illness involved. Failure to
follow the order could be subject to a
misdemeanor, resulting in up to 90 days
in jail and/or a $200 fine.
At a press conference on Sunday
afternoon, Attorney General Dana
Nessel said bars and restaurants could
face a state-mandated shutdown or lose
their liquor license if they do not comply
with Whitmer’s order. She particularly
referred to businesses having St.
Patrick’s Day celebrations.
“We’re hoping that no one has to be
cited,” Nessel said. “Most proprietors in
the industry are good actors and want
to ensure the safety of their patrons
and employees,” Nessel said. “But in the
event there are some bad apples, we are
prepared to enforce the law.”
Along with going to popular local
bars, many students held their own
large gatherings. Several houses near
Central Campus hosted parties during
the day on Saturday.
LSA sophomore Faye Polasek did not
go to any parties or bars herself, but said
she saw numerous house parties while
driving down Hill Street during the day
on Saturday.
“I passed tons of people in St. Patrick’s
Day gear — like the whole darty getup,”
Polasek said. “At basically every corner,
people were walking places along the
strip of Hill from Packard to South
Forest. And then on my street where I
live on South Forest, I saw multiple large
house parties of people on the porches
and the lawns, making me think there’s
probably lots of people in the house
as well. Same thing — all green for St
Patrick’s Day.”
Polasek also noted she saw people
visit other local bars such as Good Time
Charley’s and The Brown Jug over the
past week.
However,
other
students
are
emphasizing the importance of adhering
to public health recommendations. On
Friday, LSA junior Carolyn Chen posted
one of several memes in the UMich
Memes for Wolverteens Facebook
group directed at students who were
partying. Her post, with a picture of
“hard to swallow pills” and a caption
saying “your social life and (fear of
missing out) is not worth risking the
lives of other people,” has almost 1000
likes.
Chen said she made the post because
she was disappointed seeing many of
her friends and others on social media
go to bars and host large parties.
“A few days ago, I’ve just been seeing
a lot of my friends and all over social
media, people going out to clubs, parties,
hanging out with their friends, selfies of
everyone being really close together, not
the six feet apart of social distancing,”
Chen said.
Chen said she finds it frustrating
that even students who are aware of
the public health rationale of affecting
vulnerable populations choose to go out.
“It’s such a privilege to be young and
to not have to care whether or not you
get impacted by the virus because you
think you’re going to be fine,” Chen
said. “It’s funny to me, I see people post
‘Flatten the curve’ on their story, and
then they’ll literally be at Rick’s that
night, and I’m just like ‘what?’”
Chen said she sympathizes with
senior students, who have had their
time left in college with their friends
cut short. However, Chen said the
coronavirus pandemic is too serious to
ignore.
“I sympathize with the seniors, I’m
not invalidating how sad it must be,”
Chen said. “But I’m saying it’s even
sadder to lose a loved one or lose your
own life, and that is what is at stake
here.”
Chen hypothesized that students may
not be taking public health guidelines
seriously because Michigan’s COVID-19
cases were so recent. However, she still
said she thinks large social gatherings,
such as big house parties and crowded
bars, are unacceptable.
“To me, I think it’s a really, really
selfish thing to do,” Chen said. “I get that
it’s scary and that people don’t want to
change the way they live, but sometimes
you need to change the way you live
in order to protect or help the rights
of other people. And the right to live is
definitely a right.”
The Centers for Disease Control
recommends people wash their hands
often and avoid touching their eyes,
nose and mouth.
Symptoms of coronavirus include
fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Anyone who believes they have been
exposed to COVID-19 should call their
health care providers or the nearest
hospital.
Daily News Editor Claire Hao can be
reached at cmhao@umich.edu. Daily
Staff Reporter Calder Lewis can be
reached at calderll@umich.edu.
SOCIALIZING
From Page 1