August 25 - Updates on COVID-19
Section 1
CAMPUS SNAPSHOT
Crepe myrtle blooming on ring road near Aldrich Hall. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI.
TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES
Daily symptom check screening now mandatory for all employees
As the well-being of our community continues to be a top priority during this pandemic, our Working Well™ program has expanded to include daily mandatory COVID-19 symptom check screenings for all UCI employees. Effective yesterday, August 24, 2020, employees will receive a Daily Symptom Check and are required to respond via email, mobile application, or by calling the UCI Coronavirus Response Center at 949.824.9918. Additional details are available in Chancellor Gillman’s Executive Directive. This decision to include all employees is based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC), State of California, County of Orange, and University of California Office of the President (UCOP) directives, guidelines and best practices.
UCI launches Black Thriving Initiative
Changing the culture, leveraging the mission and engaging communities are the key components of a far-reaching new initiative at UCI to create a campus culture in which Black people thrive. The initiative recognizes and responds to systemic anti-Blackness as an existential threat to the mission of the university and calls on all members of the campus community to confront anti-Blackness.
Positive case
One employee has tested positive for coronavirus. For a cumulative update on case counts, visit www.uci.edu/coronavirus.
UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS
Learning to Relax webinar
Stress is experienced in the body as tension. To manage stress we have several choices: reduce or eliminate the stressor, think about the stressor differently so it no longer causes tension or change the way our body reacts to stress. The course will address the third option through exploring a variety of relaxation techniques to calm the body and mind. The class will allow participants to learn and experience several simple relaxation tools such as progressive muscle relaxation, abdominal relaxation breathing and visualization. The event is noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27. Registration is required.
Virtual Anteater Involvement Fair
The Virtual Anteater Involvement Fair will be held from September 28 - September 30. This event will host a variety of registered campus organizations (RCOs) and UCI departments. Participating groups will be able to hold virtual live sessions, recruit members, and promote events during the 3-day virtual fair event. If you would like to have a virtual booth at the fair, then you must complete the Campus Organization Registration process. You can find information here: https://campusorgs.uci.edu/resources/registration.php. For questions, email: campusorgs@uci.edu.
UCI consults for Monarch Beach Resort coronavirus mitigation plan
UCI’s public health and epidemiology professionals are advising Monarch Beach Resort management about best practices for operating during the pandemic. They will be reviewing plans, conducting a site visit, assisting with a training video and providing other consultation services regarding exposure risks for employees, guests and members.
UC UPDATES
UC moves to scrap single-use plastics
University of California campuses are phasing out single-use plastics as part of a bold commitment to achieve zero waste, furthering its long-established, innovative sustainability efforts and goals. The new policy will transition UC away from plastic bags in retail and dining locations and eventually eliminate single-use plastic food service items and plastic bottles.
HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER
Amid the heartbreaking loss of life and economic hardship wrought by the coronavirus, we recognize the need for stories of kindness, hope, courage and humor.
KFC suspends ‘finger lickin’ good’ slogan because of virus
“That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now,” the chicken chain says in a new video which shows the 64-year-old slogan blurred out.
GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS
Note: Some news organizations require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal for students, faculty and staff.
Children 5 and under do not need to wear a mask
According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, children 5 and under should not be made to wear a mask. According to the two agencies, very young children are less susceptible to the virus and are less likely to spread it to others.
California workers to receive additional $300 in unemployment benefits
California workers will be able to receive an additional $300 in unemployment benefits after the state government agreed to participate in a lost wages program made possible through an executive order signed by the president.
USC reporting an ‘alarming increase’ in COVID-19 cases
In a Student Health notice sent out yesterday, USC noted an “alarming increase” in COVID-19 cases, with 43 cases identified in the past seven days and more than 100 students placed in 14-day quarantine due to exposure.
Hong Kong man first case documented of getting COVID-19 twice
A 33-year-old man in Hong Kong is the first case documented of getting COVID-19 twice. He had symptoms the first time around, but no obvious symptoms the second time. The second case happened 142 days after his first infection.
How COVID-19 has changed what ‘back to school’ means at Cal State
As 480,000 California State University students prepare to log on for the start of a new academic year, the coronavirus crisis has produced uneven effects throughout the system on enrollment, budgets and even the number of students permitted to take in-person classes. Some campuses, particularly in the north, are struggling with enrollment, while in the south campuses see little to no change.
Internet searches for anxiety spiked to all-time high early in pandemic
As the coronavirus pandemic gained traction in the United States, internet searches for key words related to panic attacks and acute anxiety spiked. Google searches for anxiety symptoms from mid-March to mid-May were the highest they’ve been in the history of the search engine.
UCI IN THE NEWS - COVID-19 Article List
The Star, Aug. 24, 2020
Why BMI is outdated and what that means for COVID-19
Medpage Today, Aug, 24, 2020 (Op-Ed)
Op-Ed: Diversity is the answer to disparities in healthcare
Spectrum News1, Aug. 24, 2020
No COVID-19 deaths reported day after OC is taken off watch list
Capitol Weekly, Aug. 24, 2020 (Op-Ed)
Opinion: Step therapy: Harmful delays and the patient may suffer
MORE INFORMATION
OC-COVID19.org - powered by UCI and UCI Health, a website devoted to providing timely, useful, evidence-based information about the novel coronavirus pandemic to our friends and neighbors across Orange County
UCI Coronavirus Information Hub - more information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health