WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – A large home party in the saline area over the weekend of July 4 has caused an outbreak of new coronaviruses, particularly among youth, in the Ann Arbor area, health officials said.
The Washtenaw County Health Department identified 43 positive cases of COVID-19 and 66 exposed close contacts, not including patients’ household members, of the July 2-3 party, according to a Monday press release. July 13.
The big house party has also sparked exhibitions at local businesses, restaurants, a retirement community, clubs, camps, sports teams and canoe liveries, health officials said. Ann Arbor’s Argo and Gallup canoe liveries temporarily closed last week after two positive cases of COVID-19 were identified in employees.
Second employee tests positive for coronavirus in Ann Arbor canoe livery
Anyone who attended the party or knows they were exposed should be quarantined and monitor for symptoms for 14 days, health officials said. People should be tested if unusual symptoms appear. Authorities noted that a negative test conducted before the end of the 14 days does not eliminate the need for self-quarantine.
“This is a very clear example of how fast this virus spreads and how many people can be affected in a very short period of time,” Washtenaw County Health Officer Jimena Loveluck said in a statement. “We cannot achieve our goal of containing COVID-19 and preventing additional cases, hospitalizations, and deaths without the full support and cooperation of the community.”
Washtenaw County Health Officials Concerned About Complexity of Tracing Coronavirus Contacts
According to the statement, house party exposures have also occurred in other counties and out of state because people are traveling infected. Those exposures include at least two in northern Michigan, one out of state and one in a neighboring county.
The public health department has not yet named a public location as a possible exposure site because it is currently considered low risk. If they are nearby, personal contacts are identified in these or other locations, and people cannot be contacted directly, the Health Department will name the locations.
According to the statement, the health department is communicating with each person identified as a close contact to provide guidance and control the disease. Officials are asking people to answer calls from contact trackers and follow instructions to limit the spread of the virus.
Close contact is considered to be anyone who has had a face-to-face interaction with an identified case for at least 15 minutes less than six feet away.
Washtenaw County has had 1,914 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, July 12, according to the state. New confirmed daily cases in Washtenaw County fell to single digits in early June. But last week there was an increase in daily cases: the highest daily count was 28 on Wednesday, July 8, according to the health department database. The health department does not update its website on weekends.
Most of the new cases are from people ages 15-25, health officials said.
To reduce the spread of disease, the health department recommends wearing a face covering, keeping a distance of six feet from others who are not in a person’s home, and cleaning hands frequently.
The tests are recommended for anyone who comes to work in person, with known exposure or with any mild or unusual symptoms, health officials said. Symptoms can take up to 14 days after exposure to appear, and people are considered contagious two days before symptoms appear, health authorities said.
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