(WXYZ) — The Ottawa County Department of Public Health issued a "Staying in Place" order for GVSU students living and studying in Allendale Township to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The two-week order begins September 17 and lasts through October 1.
The order directs students in Allendale Township to remain in their on-campus or off-campus housing except to attend class, utilize food services, obtain groceries or medicine and medical care, for worship and religious practices, intercollegiate medically supervised athletic practices, or for employment.
GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella said when Grand Valley made plans for the resumption of campus learning and residency, adjustments would be made when needed.
"All of us share the goal of keeping our communities safe," Mantella said in a release. "GVSU remains committed to following all public health guidance and to stopping the spread of this virus, and I want to thank all of our students who have been acting responsibly. The university has partnered with OCDPH from the beginning, and we ask our students to cooperate with this two-week order and do their part for their friends, family, and the greater community. We can slow down the spread if we work together."
Staying in Place required actions:
- All GVSU students attending classes at the Allendale Campus will be required to wear a mask at all times, indoors and outdoors, if in public both on and off campus.
- In-person gatherings with non-household members are strictly prohibited for the duration of this order. Under no circumstances are visitors permitted in on- or off-campus housing for the duration of the order.
- Students will be allowed to leave their room/residence for purposes of physical activity in groups of no more than two with strict adherence to preventive measures.
- Students can attend in-person classes, including labs and physical education classes with strict adherence to preventive measures.
- Students can leave their room or residence to pick up food and other basic needs, go to medical appointments, pick up medication, attend religious practice activities or obtain COVID-19 testing with strict adherence to preventive measures.
- Students can attend work with the approval of the employer if the work is essential and cannot be done remotely with strict adherence to preventive measures.
- Students can have clinical rotations, student teaching or other off-campus experiential learning assignments to continue only with approval from the college dean and disclosure to the organization of placement and renewed approval by that organization with strict adherence to preventive measures.
Read more about the Staying in Place order and required actions.
Mantella said students are expected to attend in-person classes on their schedules; she said campus operations will continue and offices will be open.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.