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.

March 30 - Updates on COVID-19

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365 days in 3.5 minutes: This gripping highlight reel shows how Anteater staff, students, health teams and faculty adapted, united and helped turn the tables on COVID-19

TODAY'S CAMPUS UPDATES

Phase 3 research transitioning starts on April 5, 2021

The Framework for UCI Phased Research Activities on the UCI Research Continuity website describes Phase 3 research in detail. While Phase 3 encompasses all research activities, a cornerstone principle of Phase 3 is following applicable CDC guidance, state and local public health directives, and the Cal/OHSA physical distancing requirement of at least six feet between people, which remains in effect regardless of vaccination status.

Free COVID-19 antibody test with blood donation

Beginning March 31, the Irvine Campus Blood Donor Center will offer free COVID-19 antibody testing for anyone who donates blood or platelets. Antibody tests are not automatically done on all donations so please make sure to let the staff know you would like one. Appointments are required.

How to access your vaccine record

With COVID-19 vaccines more widely available, people are asking how they can access their vaccine records. The California Department of Public Health provides the California Immunization Registry where individuals can complete a form to authorize release of their vaccination record.

New campus cases*

No new on-campus students or employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

Upcoming events

GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS

This section curates noteworthy coronavirus news, trends and opinions. No endorsement by UCI is implied. Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and OC Register for students, faculty and staff.

Orange County moving to less-restrictive orange tier Wednesday

Orange County can further relax COVID-19 rules for a host of businesses starting Wednesday, March 31, based on case counts and other data that show an improving public health situation.

90% of Americans eligible for vaccine by April 19

President Joe Biden announced on Monday that 90% of Americans will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and will have access to vaccination sites within five miles of where they live by April 19.

Orange County receives record 1-week supply of vaccine doses

The county got a record number of vaccine doses this week. An unexpected shipment of 44,000 doses arrived Sunday, bringing the week’s total to 115,000. That’s the most the county has gotten in a single week so far.

Orange County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations on March 29 at lowest since April

The OC Health Care Agency reported on Monday, March 29, there were 145 people with confirmed coronavirus cases in Orange County hospitals. That is the lowest number of confirmed cases since April 12, when there were 138 people in local hospitals. It is also the lowest level reached since September – between the summer and winter surges – when 150 people were hospitalized on Sept. 12.

Protection from first dose of Pfizer or Moderna may not be enough to stand alone

While new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests just one dose of Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine may have an 80% effectiveness rate in real-life, it is unknown whether that protection is long-lasting or strong enough to substitute for the two-dose schedule, National of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNBC Monday.

From across the U.S., these nurses traveled to save Californians ‘one vaccination at a time’

Travel nurses come from all over the United States to aid overburdened healthcare systems. As of March 15, there were nearly 2,000 travel nurses deployed by the California Department of Public Health across the state to help with vaccinations.

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.

Game Changer by Banksy.

Game Changer by Banksy.

Nurse superhero painting for charity sells for £14.4m

A Banksy painting depicting a young boy playing with a superhero nurse doll has raised more than £16m for a NHS charity after being sold at auction.

If everyone on Earth sat in the ocean at once, how much would sea level rise?

Hypothetical questions, like what would happen if everyone on Earth went for an ocean swim at once, are fun to think about. And using math, you can get pretty close to a real answer. Let’s start with the bathtub.

#UCIconnected

Doctoral student from the School of Social Ecology Eduardo Carvalho Nepomuceno Alencar

Doctoral student from the School of Social Ecology Eduardo Carvalho Nepomuceno Alencar displays a 6 foot “Social Distance” blanket distributed by campus housing.

If you have a shoutout, or if you’d like to share what you’ve been up to during the pandemic, send photos and/or words about your activities, workstation, volunteering, etc., to marketing@uci.edu or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION

* Potential workplace exposure: UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.