Ann Arbor police plan to crack down on parties to slow spread of COVID-19

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Top medical experts have repeatedly warned that young people could be spreading coronavirus at social gatherings.

In Ann Arbor, there’s a new plan to crack down on the parties as students arrive at the University of Michigan for the 2020-21 school year.

Aug. 20, 2020: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 94,697; Death toll now at 6,368

As students come back for a socially distant semester, word of parties and large gatherings spread around campus potentially spreading the coronavirus. That’s why the Ann Arbor Police Department announced they’ll be patrolling and cracking down on gatherings.

Ann Arbor and UM police announced Thursday they were teaming up to canvas neighborhoods looking for parties. In a Tweet, Ann Arbor police said volunteer groups of school faculty will be canvasing seven days a week before cutting down to Thursday-Saturday.

According to university data, cases of the virus have pretty much tracked along with the statewide trends -- going up around the end of the semester and again over Independence Day. This last week, only two positive cases were found on campus and officials are hoping to keep it that way before students officially move in next week.

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