University of Michigan Athletics Paused Due To Covid Variant Outbreak
The entire University of Michigan Athletic Department has been forced to shut down for at least two weeks due to an outbreak of the new Covid-19 variant.
The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services ordered the shut down after several members of the U of M Athletic Department tested positive for the new variant. The MDHHS is being more aggressive with their orders due to the evidence that the variant is more easily spread. That means that U of M will have no athletic activities, including practice, for at least 14 days.
University of Michigan Athletics On Hold
The University of Michigan is putting all athletics on hold. The pause including games, team and individual training sessions will last until further notice, and up to 14 days, after the new strain of COVID-19 was reported in the department.
A decision was made by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) after positive test results for the SAR-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant virus were linked to several individuals connected to the U-M Athletic Department.
U-M Director of Athletics, Warde Manual told Fox 17, Canceling competitions is never something we want to do, but with so many unknowns about this variant of COVID-19, we must do everything we can to minimize the spread among student-athletes, coaches, staff, and to the student-athletes at other schools.