The Michigan Daily’s Ethan Sears reports that the state health department is shutting down Michigan athletics for at least two weeks, in order to prevent an outbreak of the more contagious British variant of COVID-19. MDHHS issued recommendations that the university shut down all athletics and quarantine all members. It is typical when a scientific government agency issues guidance that the entity will treat that as orders.

The Daily reports there are already five cases of the variant within Michigan’s athletic department, and that the original carrier from the U.K. was a Michigan athlete.

The first case of B.1.1.7. was brought back by a U-M athlete. This order won't affect MSU or any other state school.

— Ethan Sears (@ethan_sears) January 24, 2021

This was confirmed by Brendan Quinn:

Can also confirm reporting from The Michigan Daily that the Michigan heath dept. plan to suspend Michigan athletics — inc mbb and wbb — for upwards of 2 weeks after a positive for B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant.

More details coming. Not sure on timing of a formal announcement.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) January 24, 2021

…and one of our sources as well.

A two-week lockdown would mean athletics can resume, at the earliest, on February 7th. Michigan basketball was scheduled to play a rescheduled game with Penn State on Jan 27. Games with Indiana (1/30), Northwestern (2/3), and MSU (2/6), would also presumably be postponed due to the shutdown. Hockey would have to reschedule its Wednesday-Thursday home series against Penn State scheduled for 2/3 and 2/4.  Women’s basketball was set to play rescheduled games with MSU in a packed schedule that will now have to find another time to play Purdue (1/24), at MSU (1/26), MSU (1/28), at Rutgers (2/1), and Minnesota (2/4).

Officials have been warning the public since last week that at least one case of B.1.1.7. was in Washtenaw County. The county health department sent out an exposure notice on Saturday morning for the Saline Meijer and Briarwood Mall last Sunday: 

Washtenaw County Health Department is now aware of a possible public exposure. Brief, public exposures are not normally a COVID-19 exposure concern but the B117 variant is more easily transmitted and could lead to more cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

As a precaution, the Health Department recommends immediate COVID-19 testing for anyone in the following locations at the specific times provided:

• Sun, Jan 17 at the Meijer on Ann Arbor Saline Rd., Ann Arbor MI from 9:00 to 10:00 am
• Sun, Jan 17 Briarwood Mall, 100 Briarwood Circle, Ann Arbor MI from 1:00 to 2:00 pm

According to the CDC the B.1.1.7. variant, which originated in the United Kingdom last September, has an usually large number of mutations and is associated with a markedly higher rate of transmission, but not a greater severity of symptoms nor resistance to the vaccine. The decision comes in the middle of turnover at the state Health Department. Former MDHHS Director Robert Gordon resigned on Friday, and is expected to be taking a senior position with the national department. New director Elizabeth Hertel was promoted Friday from the deputy position at MDHHS.

We’ll add an official post from the athletics department when it’s available.

UPDATE 10:30PM 1/23/2021: The university has put out a press release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Under a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) decision made Saturday (Jan. 23), the University of Michigan Athletic Department will immediately pause athletic activities in all sports, including games, team and individual training sessions, until further notice and up to 14 days.

While U-M has worked diligently on testing and reporting within state and Big Ten Conference guidelines, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is mandating a more aggressive strategy for this B.1.1.7 variant, which exceeds current program efforts designed around the standard form of the virus.

The mandate follows positive test results for the SAR-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant virus infections from several individuals linked to the U-M Athletic Department through its diligent testing regiment. The B.1.1.7 variant is thought to be approximately 50 percent more transmissible than the standard form of the virus, leading to faster spread of the virus, potentially increased numbers of cases, and additional hospitalizations and deaths. Therefore, a pause of all athletic activities and a closure of all U-M athletic facilities are being taken to strengthen the public health intervention. Team members (student-athletes, coaches, and team staff) must immediately isolate/quarantine effective Jan. 23 until further notice and up to 14 days (Feb. 7).

"Canceling competitions is never something we want to do, but with so many unknowns about this variant of COVID-19, we must do everything we can to minimize the spread among student-athletes, coaches, staff, and to the student-athletes at other schools," said Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics.

University public health officials are working closely with the Washtenaw County Health Department and Michigan Department of Human Health Services on additional mitigation strategies to address the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant in the university community. The university will be carefully considering additional mitigation measures. There are many unknowns that remain under investigation by U-M, local and state public health officials.

No determination has been made on how the pause may impact scheduled games beyond Feb. 7.

Hopefully the lockdown can contain the spread of the variant, those who have been infected don’t get seriously ill, and everyone can get healthy as soon as possible. There is no content after the jump.