April 19 - Updates on COVID-19

Aloe and cherry blossoms in Aldrich Park. Photo by Ian Parker

TODAY'S CAMPUS UPDATES

Fall plans begin taking shape

In separate emails to the campus today, Chancellor Howard Gillman and Provost Hal Stern offer more details on UCI’s vision for campus operations this fall. The reopening plan, which is scheduled to begin July 1 and phase in by Sept. 1, features workplace and coursework flexibility, and is guided by a philosophy of putting people first and creating an environment that supports stellar work without compromising quality.

No new campus cases over weekend*

No student residents or on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 from Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

Oxygenation helps severe COVID cases, UCI study says

Using a heart-lung machine to remove carbon dioxide from the blood of COVID patients who fail to improve on a ventilator substantially lowers their death rate, according to a UCI-led study. But researchers caution that “extracorporeal membrane oxygenation” treatment is costly and resource-intensive.

Upcoming events

• From the Cosmos to COVID-19, a Career in Science Journalism, Wednesday, 5 p.m.
• The COVID-19 Vaccine: Where We Are Now, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

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.

California has 9th-slowest jobs recovery in U.S.

The state’s sluggish economic recovery also includes an unemployment rate of 8.4%, fourth-highest in the nation.

No guarantee schools will reopen in fall, Newsom says

The debate continues over whether in-person classes can safely resume.  

California pushes vaccine ‘passports’ – but don’t call them that

State health officials insist they have no plans to institute vaccine “passports” – digital or paper passes that allow vaccinated residents or those who’ve tested negative into concerts, baseball games and other arenas. But this month, the state announced reopening rules for indoor live events that give businesses an incentive to demand such proof from ticket holders. Businesses can hold larger events when they verify either of the safeguards.

50% of California adults at least partially vaccinated

California on Friday reached an encouraging milestone in the pandemic, with officials announcing that half of residents 16 and older have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

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.

A 1997 Archie comic accurately predicted 2021 schools

Who knew Archie had a crystal ball? Check out this 1997 Archie comic called “Betty,” predicting high school in 2021. At least the fashion forecasts were wrong.

#UCIconnected

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 COVID-19 vaccination, 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.