2 COVID-19 cases confirmed in students at UM dorm

Two COVID-19 cases have been identified in a students at a University of Michigan residence hall on campus, where move-ins began this week, school officials confirmed Thursday.

Both students at West Quad "have returned to their permanent residences to isolate as recommended by the university’s public health protocols," UM spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen said in a statement.

University housing notified residents via email Thursday, and people identified as close contacts are contacted separately by the school's Environment, Health and Safety department working with the Washtenaw County Health Department, she said.

"Any residents who were not directly contacted by the health department are considered to be a low exposure risk," she said. 

As part of the school's preventative efforts, residence hall bathrooms "are cleaned and sanitized twice a day using EPA-regulated agents. Across the building, high-touch areas are cleaned repeatedly all day."

UM move-ins were slated to start Monday and last through Sunday, according to the university website.

The West Quad cases come as other colleges are grappling with virus-related restrictions. 

This week, 82 cases related to students at Central Michigan University returning to the Mount Pleasant area were identified, prompting the department to issue an emergency order to limit the size of gatherings.

Eastern Michigan University is delaying move-in for students living in residence halls by three weeks, and moving all of its fall classes to online through Sept. 20.