EAST LANSING, Mich. — People living in 30 large houses identified to be known exposure sites of COVID-19 have been ordered to quarantine immediately for the next two weeks, according to the Ingham County Health Department.
The quarantine was mandated by an emergency order (Ingham 2020-18) issued by Ingham County Health Officer Linda S. Vail Monday afternoon. The properties include 23 fraternity and sorority houses as well as seven large rental houses. If additional properties are identified with cases or exposures the health department says those houses will also be placed under quarantine.
“I do not take this lightly, but there is an outbreak centered on Michigan State University (MSU) and it is quickly becoming a crisis,” said Vail. “The surge in cases we have seen over the past few weeks is alarming. I am disheartened to add that this outbreak is being fueled in part by a lack of cooperation and compliance from some MSU students, many residing in the properties now under mandatory quarantine. We must contain COVID-19 cases; however, within the MSU community we have been unable to do so with comprehensive contact tracing so other means of disease containment are necessary.”
Residents of the quarantined properties will have to follow protocols similar to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Michigan. They must remain in their residence unless they need medical care or necessities that cannot be delivered.
People who do not reside in the residence are prohibited from entering unless they are providing an essential service deemed necessary for the immediate health and safety of the residents.
Ingham County has seen a 52 percent increase in total case count since August 24. Additionally the population in the county has shifted from a 2 percent positivity rate to 5 percent. In comparison, the MSU community percent positivity has ranged from 11 percent to 15 percent since September 5. More than half of all new cases countywide reside in the city of East Lansing, and the majority of all new cases are MSU students.
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