The term “my body, my choice” is no longer being coined by the radical left. The University of Michigan recently implemented a policy that would require testing of all students who frequent campus buildings. School officials add that students who have failed to comply with taking a weekly COVID-19 test would have their University Mcards deactivated and would be banned from entering campus buildings. They’ve also proposed to include academic probation, canceled housing contracts, and referral for a formal student conduct process if students do not complete their COVID-19 testing through the University’s Community Sampling and Tracking Program.
Last month, 375 University of Michigan students were emailed that they had lost access to non-residential campus buildings due to failing to complete a COVID-19 test in four or more weeks. Some students did not have a prior test on file.
“The notification sent on Tuesday should not come as a surprise to the recipients. Prior to this notification, students were sent reminders (via campus systems) that they needed to complete their weekly test because they are in the mandatory testing cohort,” said Sarah Daniels, member of the Compliance and Accountability Team.
So far, 136 students have completed a coronavirus test and been granted approval to have their Mcards reactivated to get into compliance with the University’s COVID-19 guidelines. Another 21 students requested to have their Mcards reactivated and were granted partial exemption from the testing program.
Another second wave of emails was sent on April 12 to 718 students who also failed to comply with COVID-19 testing measures. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students had their Mcards deactivated and were denied access to campus buildings. While a majority of the students live off-campus and attend class virtually, they still have to physically go to campus at some point for in-person instruction, research, or to enroll in other courses.
“Despite our excitement and optimism around expanded eligibility and opportunities for COVID-19 vaccines, at this point of the pandemic, when around others we must continue the practices of social distancing, wearing a mask, routine testing, and other proven mitigation strategies to slow the spread of the coronavirus,” said Robert Ernst, the University Health Service’s executive director.
The university issued a statement that they will be planning in-person events and activities in the near future, but that all students would be required to complete the daily ResponsiBLUE app health questionnaire and weekly COVID-19 testing for access.
U.M officials noted at the end of March that COVID-19 cases were trending upward on campus among affiliates, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and non-students. University students currently account for 15% of the total cases in the county and have resulted in a spike in positivity rate of 0.8% up from 0.3%. Even though Michigan has some of the most draconian lockdowns and restrictions in the country, they continue to lead as a top coronavirus hotspot. Just shows how much “science” those lockdowns and restrictions followed in the first place.
It is everyone’s choice to get testing or not and if you don’t do what the Democrats want you to do, they’ll cut you off on campus and lock you out of buildings. That’s how far they’ll take this. Where’s the media hysteria over this? I thought it was “my body, my choice.”