April 6 - Updates on COVID-19

CAMPUS UPDATES

Positive Case Identified

The Student Health Center has identified a second positive case of COVID-19, bringing the campus total to four individuals who have tested positive. This individual initially showed symptoms on March 31st, was evaluated via a telephone visit and had a drive-through sample drawn April 2nd. The patient has been isolating in an on-campus apartment – with no roommates – since March 29 and has not been in contact with anyone from UCI for more than 10 days. Given the details of the individual’s circumstance, health officials have determined that there is no need for medically advised quarantine or testing of campus contacts.

CAMPUS RESOURCES

Help with Online Resources for Teaching and Learning

Instructure (the maker of Canvas) will now handle all faculty and TA support for Canvas providing access to support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Canvas Support Hotline is 855-213-7130, the email address is support@instructure.com, and there is also Live Text Chat available.

Social Ecology website features resources for coping with coronavirus

The School of Social Ecology is providing information on current school and campus updates, policies and coping tips on these “Remote Connectedness” pages. The pages include faculty resources, graduate student resources, undergraduate student resources and tips for stress relief.

New Virtual Resources for UCI Alumni

Alumni has launched a new website to help alumni stay connected virtually. The new content is intended for the Anteater alumni community to stay connected with each other, as well as stay connected with the latest at UCI.

UC UPDATES

Resources and Strategies for Coping With Market Volatility

A big drop in the stock market is enough to give any investor pause. Visit the www.myucretirement.com site for resources to help you learn what to consider when market volatility increases, including a video from Jagdeep Singh Bachher, Chief Investment Officer for the University of California, discussing the benefits of staying your course during volatile markets.

COMMUNITY UPDATES AND NEWS

OC Hotline Hours to Change - Saturdays Added

Effective Saturday, April 4, the Orange County COVID-19 Public Information Hotline and Health Referral Line will take calls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Residents with COVID-19 questions can contact the County of Orange COVID-19 Hotline at 1(833)426-6411.

Create a Family Plan During COVID-19

The County of Orange is encouraging residents to create a family preparedness plan in the event they are impacted by COVID-19. Family preparedness is a mainstay of planning for emergencies such as earthquakes and fires, and they are equally important during a health pandemic. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to reach out to trusted family, friends or neighbors who may be able to assist, should a child’s parent or caregiver be diagnosed with COVID-19 and require hospitalization and/or isolation. Here is a website with additional resources.

PPE from Amazon

Amazon is now prioritizing medical supplies exclusively to hospital and government organizations. Please contact your business manager who can work with procurement staff if there is a need, and fill out the access request form here.

California Donates 500 Ventilators

Governor Newsom announced this morning that California would loan 500 state-owned ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile inventory.

CDC Releases Instructions for Making Cloth Face Masks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released instructions and visual tours on how to make cloth face coverings from every day, household materials.

Southern California Homebuying Plummets

The coronavirus pandemic has caused the lowest level of house hunting in over 6 years. Orange County saw the biggest drop in listings (-39%) and escrows (-35%) compared to Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino, from this time last year.

The US Surgeon General’s Message

According to the US surgeon general, Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, this week is going to be the “hardest and the saddest for most American’s lives.” He goes on to say that this pandemic is the United States’ “Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localized, it’s going to be happening all over the country.”

California COVID-19 Testing Backlog Reduced

This past Saturday, Governor Newsom announced that California’s COVID-19 testing backlog was cut down by more than two-thirds. As of last Friday, California has tested 126,000 people and 13,000 are still waiting on results. This is down from the 59,500 people who were still waiting for results last Thursday.

California Could Set Bail at Zero for Misdemeanor Offenses

In hopes of slowing the spread of coronavirus, California judicial leaders are expected to adopt a statewide emergency order that would set bail at zero for lower-level felony and misdemeanor offenses. The Judicial Council will have a remote meeting today to vote.