UCI Forward

UCI Forward is our commitment to the well-being of our community as we ramp up campus operations. Working together, each of us doing our part, we can move UCI Forward.

September 3 - Updates on COVID-19

Section 1

CAMPUS SNAPSHOT

Bird sitting on UCI sign that reads a smoke-free community

Fire season notwithstanding. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI.

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

Take the UCI Labor Day Challenge

Heading into the holiday weekend, the campus is on a five-day streak of no new COVID-19 cases reported by students or employees. To help keep the streak going, take the UCI Labor Day Challenge: If you’re unable to avoid weekend gatherings (the safest option), please do your socializing outdoors and maintain physical distancing. And, of course, wear a mask.

Please note that this newsletter will not publish tomorrow, in advance of Labor Day weekend. Stay safe and we’ll see you Tuesday.

But if a case does happen...
UCI just posted updated instructions for students, staff, faculty and other academic appointees on “What to do when a COVID-19 case occurs.” The key message: “Call the Coronavirus Response Center at x49918 (949.824.9918) for guidance.”

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.   

Oklahoma school district bans a sense of humor?

Students may not “laugh, giggle, guffaw, cackle, snicker, tee-hee, woo-hoo, grin [or] snortle,” warns a superintendent. Just kidding. Folks should take COVID seriously, he adds, but as the new school year begins, “I cannot think of anything that will help us more than old-fashioned silliness. ... Our kids need it and we do too.”

Farm town residents donate stimulus checks to save local businesses

Citizens of tiny Holyoke, Colorado, donated $93,000 to help every business affected by the shutdown.

GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS

This section curates noteworthy articles on COVID-19. No endorsement by UCI is implied. 
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.

Telemedicine, R.I.P.?

Remote doctor visits grew wildly popular during COVID-19’s early days. But now, they’re plunging, forcing healthcare providers to recalibrate.

New ‘Housing is Key’ campaign to provide rent relief

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the launch of “Housing is Key,” a campaign aimed at connecting renters and landlords experiencing economic hardship from COVID-19 with helpful information and resources. The campaign will be run by the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency and kicks off with a new website and social media ads targeting vulnerable communities.

OC COVID statistics - good news and bad

More than 1,000 Orange County residents have died from the coronavirus as of Wednesday. On a more positive note, the number of hospitalizations and ICU cases continues to fall. On Wednesday, hospitalizations (295) dropped to their lowest total since June 3, and ICU patients (89) fell to the lowest figure since May 12.

COVID cases continue to rise at University of Missouri

The school reported 483 active student cases of COVID-19. According to the university’s virus dashboard, 683 student cases, which includes active cases, have been reported since Aug. 19.

L.A. County authorizes limited in-person learning

Los Angeles County health officials said K-12 schools can resume limited on-campus teaching for students most in need of in-person learning.

UCI IN THE NEWS - COVID-19 Article List

ABC10, Sept. 2, 2020 (Video)
Experts using AI to help people cope during pandemic: ‘Robots are our friends’

Orange County Register, Sept. 2, 2020
Orange County surpasses 1,000 coronavirus deaths

Psychology Today , Sept. 2, 2020
COVID-19 blew up the ‘epidemic of loneliness’

Deseret News, Sept. 2, 2020
‘Peace and clarity’: What spending time outdoors can do for your heart, mind and spirituality

Voice of OC, Sept. 2, 2020
Statewide law gives OC renters, homeowners eviction and foreclosure protections

Irvine Standard, Sept. 2, 2020
Leading the race for a vaccine

Orange County Business Journal, Aug. 31, 2020
Monarch Beach Resort calls in public health experts

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