Saying coronavirus cases are the result of off-campus partying rather than classroom interaction, MSU is moving aggressively to increase in-person classes and on-campus housing beginning in January.
In issuing the order, which runs until Election Day, local health and university officials are trying to rein in student social gatherings in an effort to flatten a spike in coronavirus cases. But, hey, football games will go on.
Michigan’s public universities and community colleges report thousands fewer college freshmen, echoing national trends. Studies show that many students who do not go directly to college never enroll.
College football is back. Game Day celebrations, not so much. Michigan State University’s president is discouraging fans from gathering to watch the opening game.
Cases on college campuses continue to rise, but the good news is that K-12 schools continue to have few COVID-19 infections. Parents also can now get faster disclosure of coronavirus cases in their local schools.
The administration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is moving quickly to reinstate a school coronavirus reporting mandate that was struck down Friday by the state’s high court.
The number of K-12 schools with coronavirus outbreaks jumped from 28 to 46 schools in just a week. And there are now over 3,800 confirmed cases at colleges and universities across Michigan, numbers that are likely an undercount.
COVID-19 cases have quintupled in Houghton County in the western Upper Peninsula this month. The halt to in-person learning is scheduled to extend to Oct. 12.
Young voters could be a formidable bloc in the November election, and activists from both major political parties say they’re more motivated than ever. But despite efforts to make it easier to vote than ever, some question if they will.
College students better keep recharging their laptops. Classes are likely to remain online rather than in-person for the full 2020-21 academic year at the University of Michigan, Wayne State and Michigan State.
The number of coronavirus cases on the Michigan State University website since Aug. 24 jumped to 1,219 Thursday, two days after Ingham County health officer Linda Vail noted the website was significantly undercounting MSU-related cases. U-M boosts its reporting too.
Hours after a committee hearing in which health officials said they can’t report school outbreaks more than once a week, Michigan’s public health director told Bridge Michigan the Whitmer administration may order schools to publicly reveal outbreaks as they are confirmed.
Big Ten college football is set to begin Oct. 24. A professor of sport management at the University of Michigan addresses some benefits and potential drawbacks of playing football too soon.
Ingham County health officer Linda Vail said Michigan State has more than double the number of coronavirus cases listed on the school’s website. She said if case counts don’t drop, she would advise MSU to call off its opening game against Rutgers.
The University of Michigan counts COVID tests it administers on its website, but leaves out testing performed by county health officials. Disparate testing plans from school to school make it difficult to compare coronavirus spread across campuses.
A group of more than 30 news outlets and transparency groups wrote to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday, asking her to require schools to report COVID-19 outbreaks faster. The information comes as cases soar among some colleges and schools.
