Michigan won't implement the CDC's new COVID-19 isolation guidelines, saying it needs to 'review the supporting evidence' first

A group of teenagers serving as 'Covid-19 Student Ambassadors' joined Governor Gretchen Whitmer to receive a dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine at Ford Field during an event to promote and encourage Michigan residents to go and get their vaccines on April 6, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan.

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• Michigan is not implementing the new CDC guidelines for COVID-19 isolation, a statement from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said. 
• The MDHHS will further review the supporting evidence of the new CDC guidelines before implementing them. 
• The statement urged Michiganders to get vaccinated, wear masks, socially distance, and test when necessary. 

Michigan will not immediately implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new COVID-19 isolation guidelines,which shorten the isolation period for those who test positive for the virus, state officials said.

The state's department of health will review the new guidelines and in the meantime will continue to practice the former 10-day isolation guidelines, according to a statement from The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 

"The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) intends to review the supporting evidence behind this guidance, while awaiting additional information from the CDC, specifically for special populations and in high-risk settings," the statement said. 

Michigan has faced a high rate of COVID-19 infections — 11,490 people tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday — due to both the Delta and Omicron variants, the statement said. 

"The delta variant has already fueled the current surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations. The high transmissibility of the omicron variant underscores the importance of Michiganders practicing the COVID mitigation practices that are known to reduce spread and risk," the statement said.

"Ensuring that as many Michiganders as possible are vaccinated is the best protection available against additional variants of concern and reduces the strain on hospitals," the statement said. 

MDHHS also urged Michiganders to continue to wear masks, socially distance, and test when necessary. 

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