Weekly U-M Ann Arbor COVID-19 Update

April 23, 2021

To All Members of the Campus Community:

Here are the main updates at-a-glance:

  • U-M students choosing to live in Ann Arbor on-campus housing during the fall term will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and to have shared proof of their vaccination with the university unless they have a documented exemption.
  • We strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated. Vaccination remains the best way we can protect ourselves and loved ones from COVID-19 and resume more in-person activities. Michigan Medicine has invited all U-M students, faculty and staff who filled out the Blue Queue questionnaire and live in Michigan to receive a vaccine. Free COVID-19 vaccine appointments remain available to everyone in the U-M community. Visit our vaccine page for the latest information and to sign up.
  • Vaccination will exempt students from mandatory weekly coronavirus testing, and students who remain symptom-free will no longer need to quarantine following a close-contact exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 cases associated with our campus continue to decrease, but cases in Washtenaw County remain high, indicating significant community spread. Cases and hospitalizations in our state remain very high, as well. U-M affiliated cases represent only 7 percent of all cases in the county.
  • Students preparing to leave Ann Arbor at the end of the term are encouraged to follow safe travel guidance and get tested prior to their departure, unless they are fully vaccinated (two weeks past their final dose).

Vaccination Update

Michigan Medicine has invited all U-M students, faculty and staff who filled out the Blue Queue questionnaire and live in Michigan to receive a vaccine. Free COVID-19 vaccine appointments remain available to everyone in the U-M community. Visit our vaccine page for the latest information and to sign up.

Vaccination remains the best way we can protect ourselves and loved ones from COVID-19 and resume more in-person activities.

We strongly encourage all students to self-report their vaccination information following their final dose. As of Wednesday, nearly 2,500 students have voluntarily submitted this information.

Vaccine Requirement for On-Campus Housing

U-M students choosing to live in Ann Arbor on-campus housing during the fall term will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and to have shared proof of their vaccination with the university.

In addition to being highly effective in protecting against serious COVID-19 infection, vaccination will exempt any U-M student from mandatory coronavirus testing and allow for the opening of residential lounges, something that many students missed this past year. Fully vaccinated students who remain symptom-free will not be required to quarantine following a close-contact exposure to COVID-19, which follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We recognize that there may be a limited number of students planning to live in U-M Housing who need to seek exemption from the requirement. Michigan Housing will share additional details directly with students in the coming weeks.

We are not requiring vaccination for anyone else at this time, but strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated.

Campus COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 cases associated with the campus continue to decrease, but cases in Washtenaw County remain high, indicating significant community spread. Cases and hospitalizations all around our state remain very high, as well. U-M affiliated cases represent 7 percent of all cases in the county. The only Campus Response Metric currently being met is more than 70 new cases per million in Washtenaw County.

Students preparing to leave Ann Arbor at the end of the term are encouraged to follow safe travel guidance and get tested prior to their departure, unless they are fully vaccinated (two weeks past their final dose).

Campus COVID-19 Briefing

The video for this week’s Campus COVID-19 Briefing is available here.

We will continue to schedule these biweekly on Fridays through at least May. At today’s briefing:

  • Chief Health Officer Preeti Malani gave an update on campus conditions and important reminders and recommendations for our community.
  • Rob Ernst, chair of the Campus Health Response Committee, discussed the public health benefits of vaccination.
  • Vice President for Student Life Martino Harmon discussed the vaccination requirement for students living on campus in the fall.
  • Laraine Washer, associate professor of internal medicine and director of infection control at Michigan Medicine, discussed vaccine safety.
  • Provost Susan M. Collins and three associate deans – Mark Clague of our School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Tim McKay of our College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and Mary-Ann Mycek of our College of Engineering – discussed what students can expect regarding classes and other academic engagements on campus this fall.

Michigan Medicine leaders have scheduled virtual town halls once per month for the remainder of the calendar year.

During the semester, I will continue to provide weekly COVID-19 updates to help keep everyone informed and address concerns and respond to feedback and questions from our community. You may also read the University Record for the latest stories and the Campus Maize and Blueprint site for updates. Stay safe and be healthy.

Sincerely,

Mark S. Schlissel, M.D., Ph.D.
President