The University of Michigan announced major steps Friday to reduce the number of students on campus for the winter term because of the coronavirus, telling families that housing contracts will be canceled.
The university said undergraduates living in residence halls should not return after the holidays but participate in online classes from home.
“The pandemic hasn’t gone away, COVID-19 case numbers continue to increase in Michigan and around the nation, and the winter will bring new and likely greater challenges,” President Mark Schlissel said.
Undergraduates who must live on campus will stay in single rooms, and weekly virus tests will be mandatory, the university said.
The steps were announced a day after the state health department reported 5,710 new confirmed cases in Michigan, the highest daily total.
In October, Washtenaw County health officials told students to stay in place for two weeks due to a surge in local cases tied to social gatherings.
