Davies gives update on CMU COVID-19 plans; cases continue to rise in Isabella
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the Mount Pleasant area, Central Michigan University President Bob Davies sent an update on plans moving forward.
The same day another spike in cases was announced by the Central Michigan District Health Department on Aug. 28, Davies’s email laid out plans for on-campus testing and canceling CMU housing contracts, stating the university will continue to stay open as long as it can manage.
“I have been asked several times what would trigger CMU to shift to remote-only instruction,” Davies said. “Our goal is to continue in-person instruction for as long as we feel we are able to manage and mitigate risk related to COVID-19. If we feel we are no longer able to do so, we will shift.”
The university’s Emergency Management Team are currently monitoring these data points:
- Percentage of CMU cases on campus and number of cases as a percentage of counts in the overall region.
- Cases connected with clusters or pockets versus community spread.
- Capacity of CMU's quarantine and isolation residence hall.
- Overall trend lines of new cases connected to CMU and of new cases in the greater community unrelated to CMU.
“The data seems to uphold our decision to continue to offer in-person instruction,” Davies said. “We will continue to monitor this virus closely and to work alongside our partners in the health department and local government to make decisions about our operations. Health and safety will remain our top priorities.”
To date, he said there are currently about 100 cases in the CMU community out of 18,000 students. He said this number may seem alarming, but it represents about one percent of the university population and is primarily linked to three off-campus houses. Beginning Tuesday Sept. 1, the new CMU cases page will be updated daily instead of weekly.
According to a press release from the health department, there are 126 confirmed cases in Isabella County as of 9 a.m., Aug. 28 related to CMU students returning to the Mount Pleasant area, with another eight that are probable. This is up from 110 confirmed cases with seven probable cases from 3 p.m. the previous day. This case count starts back on Aug. 16.
Davies said the university’s number differs from the health department because the department’s counts include cases they believe are related to students returning that are not current CMU students, staff and faculty. Those cases are not included in CMU’s count, he said.
Beginning next week, on-campus testing will be available in the lower-level room of the Foust Hall health clinic, Davies said. Testing will be prioritized for individuals who are symptomatic or who were in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person.
Residential students who are enrolled in all-online courses or who arranged with their faculty to participate in hyflex classes remotely can end their housing contracts at any time during the fall semester without paying the $500 contract cancellation fee, Davies said. Students are responsible for paying a prorated daily amount covering meals, FLEX dollars and housing costs for the time they lived on campus. If they wish to move out, students should schedule a checkout time with their residence director or residence hall director.
Amid this spike in cases, Isabella County has been deemed the Michigan County with the highest risk of COVID-19 as of Aug. 25, according to a map from the Harvard Global Health Institute. The map labels counties’ and states’ risks of COVID-19 from green (lowest risk) to red (highest risk). Isabella County is the only county in Michigan that is red.
According to the department’s website, Isabella County has seen 394 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Recoveries are at 151 and deaths are currently at nine.
