May 19 - Updates on COVID-19

UCI UPDATES

UCI Health and Anaheim Ducks mobile blood drive

The Anaheim Ducks and UCI Health will team up on Wednesday, May 20 for a mobile blood drive in the parking lot of Honda Center. Donors will receive a t-shirt, plus a tote bag with swag items. All donors will also be entered to win a signed Anaheim Ducks Jersey. This event is by appointment only.

The Hill campus store service offering

In efforts to support the campus, The Hill continues to have a small team working in store to process any online orders. Services such as discounts, curbside pickup and ground shipping are all available.

UCI Libraries

The UCI Libraries share this brief video to let you know they are here for you. #ZotSmarter

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND STORIES

UCI physicists exploring use of Blu-ray disc lasers to kill COVID-19, other viruses

A team led by UCI physicist Chris Barty is researching the use of diodes from Blu-ray digital video disc devices as deep-ultraviolet laser photon sources to rapidly disinfect surfaces and the indoor air that swirls around us. “If these sources are successful, I think you could build them into a mask and clean the air that’s coming in and out of you,” he said. “Or you could set these things up in the air circulation ducts of major buildings, and the airflow that goes through could be sterilized.”

UCI COVID-19 VIRTUAL EVENTS

Virtual Reporting: Telling the Stories that Matter on the Front Lines of COVID-19

The School of Humanities continues with its COVID-19: The Humanities Respond series with the event Virtual Reporting: Telling the Stories that Matter on the Front Lines of COVID-19. The event features Erika Hayasaki from the Program in Literary Journalism and takes place on Thursday, May 21.

Challenging Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia during COVID-19

The Office of Inclusive Excellence is hosting the event Challenging Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia during COVID-19. This session will discuss how panic and anxiety caused by the pandemic are impacting Asian communities and identify ways to respond to anti-Asian racism and show our Asian/Asian-American communities that we care. The event takes place on May 21 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is required.

Disease Detectives: COVID-19 and Contact Tracing

The Program in Public Health continues with its Lunchtime Lecture Series with the event Disease Detectives: COVID-19 and Contact Tracing. The 30-minute event features Dr. Karen Edwards, Professor & Chair of the UCI Department of Epidemiology, and takes place May 21 from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Registration is required.

Claire Trevor School of the Arts presents Physical Graffiti Online

The faculty and students at Claire Trevor School of the Arts continue to find new and creative ways to create and present art while off-campus. Physical Graffiti Online, the annual undergraduate choreographer showcase, is presented as an asynchronous performance -- entirely online. View the work of 13 choreographers, then hear them describe their creative process during a question & answer session. The event is offered over two days - on May 21 and again on May 22 - both days, the time is from 7 to 8 p.m. Registration is required.

Therapy Pet Thursday

The UCI Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion offers Therapy Pet Thursday. Students, staff and faculty are invited to join Natalie for casual conversation, cute pets, and therapy dogs from Go Team Therapy Dogs on Thursdays in spring quarter, from 4 to 4:45pm. Bring your pet if you have one. If not, no worries! All are welcome to drop in anytime. RSVP is required and the Zoom link will be sent one hour prior to the session.

Film screening of COVER/AGE and conversation with filmmaker

Set against the backdrop of California’s Health4All campaign, COVER/AGE is a new short documentary that follows two leaders who have been championing the immigrant health justice movement in the Golden State. As the conversation around universal coverage continues to gain momentum at the national level, this film highlights the urgency of expanding healthcare coverage to undocumented people by centering the unwavering voices of immigrant health justice leaders. This 30-minute film followed by talk back is offered by the UCI Humanities Center and takes place May 21 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Registration is required.

UC UPDATES

ACT chief sends letter to UC regents criticizing proposal to make ACT/SAT tests optional

Last week, Janet Napolitano unveiled a five-year proposal to make the SAT and ACT testing requirement optional for two years, eliminate it in years three and four and move to a new test developed for the UC system in year five. Marten Roorda, ACT chief executive officer, criticized the proposal in a letter to members of the UC Board of Regents, who are scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to suspend and possibly eliminate standardized testing as a UC admissions requirement.

COMMUNITY UPDATES & NEWS

Orange County partially opens beach parking

The County of Orange reopened limited parking at County-operated beaches on Monday, May 18, 2020. Parking with reduced capacity reopened at Salt Creek, Strands and Baby beaches in Dana Point. The coastal lot reopened at Aliso Beach in South Laguna, with the inland lot remaining closed. Parking at Capistrano Beach is closed for maintenance. County beaches are open for active recreation only.

Cities adopt anti-discrimination resolutions amid coronavirus pandemic

The Irvine City Council unanimously adopted a resolution in support of the city’s Asian American community against coronavirus-related discrimination. Irvine’s resolution states that over 42.5% of the city’s population is of Asian descent. The Orange County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to express solidarity with the Asian and Asian American populations. Orange County has the third-largest Asian American population in the United States, with over 600,000 Asian Americans and over 19,000 Pacific Islanders, making up 21% of the county’s population, according to Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s website.

More Orange County businesses could reopen soon

Orange County could open more businesses after Governor Newsom announced a majority of California can begin relaxing some of the stay at home orders. Now, counties must have no more than 25 virus cases per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks before allowing more businesses to reopen.

President Trump threatens to permanently pull from World Health Organization

President Trump threatened to permanently pull funding from the World Health Organization if it does not “commit to major substantive improvements in the next 30 days.”

Sporting events could begin in California in early June

Governor Newsom said that the state could allow professional sporting events to reopen without spectators as early as the first week of June.

Huntington Beach City Council discusses plan to expand outdoor dining

The Huntington Beach City Council unanimously decided to draw up a plan that would expand outdoor dining. This would include expanding outdoor seating opportunities by converting unused parking spaces to a staging area for tables.

Thermometers are now in short supply due to the coronavirus

Due to consumers, employers, corporations and more ordering thermometers for daily wellness checks, thermometer makers say that demand has outstripped the supply.