Guests remain strongly discouraged in residence hall rooms and apartments and overnight guests are not permitted, the email said. If a guest is present, both the resident and the guest must wear masks and maintain six feet of physical distancing. Only one visitor is permitted in any residential unit, including four-bedroom apartments, single-rooms and double-rooms, according to the email.

This comes following a decrease in positivity rates for the on-campus community. In the week of Feb. 15, results from the COVID-19 Early Detection Program show a positivity rate of 0.44% with 40 detected cases. Results for the week of Feb. 22 currently sit at 30 cases. 

All on-campus residents and those planning to visit the campus must continue to abide by the MSU Community Compact, which requires participation in the Early Detection Program and the completion of a daily health screening form. 

With upcoming break days March 2-3, Gore encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunity for needed rest and self-care but to remember that it is not intended to be a replacement for spring break. 

“As COVID-19 cases continue to decline both locally and elsewhere, it is natural to be hopeful that things are returning to normal," Gore said in the email. "But we must not let our guard down now, or we could find ourselves in another situation where we must enforce more stringent safeguards."

Students should not travel outside of East Lansing, and those who do must submit an Early Detection Program saliva sample within 24 hours of returning to campus in addition to their scheduled weekly sample and quarantine until they receive a cleared test result, the email said. 

Increased positivity rates from travel may lead to another enhanced distancing directive implemented in the future, according to the email.