University of Michigan athletics will go on a two-week hiatus starting Sunday (1/24) due to a spike in new COVID-19 cases including the new variant that has been identified in Washtenaw County.
All University of Michigan athletics will be paused for two weeks starting Sunday, Jan. 24 in accordance with an order from the state health department according to messages obtained by The Daily and confirmed by a source close to the athletic department. The order, which halts all athletic activity including practice, is limited exclusively to U-M athletics after a recent influx of positive cases within several Michigan teams.
The Michigan Daily
There have reportedly been five cases of the new COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant according to The Michigan Daily as the department prepares itself for another 15 positive cases. The variant is believed to have been introduced to the Ann Arbor campus by a Michigan athlete traveling from the United Kingdom last year.
This past week, there were 22 total cases within the athletic department with 13 positive tests the week prior.