June 29 - Updates on COVID-19

Aerial view of UCI. Ethan Rohloff/UCI

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

Campus operations - building update

Over the summer, we will slowly re-engage some campus operations. Beginning July 6, campus buildings will be unlocked from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to support approved faculty and staff returning to campus. HVAC systems have been maintained in all buildings, and will be fully functional as the campus community returns. Signs around campus with QR codes will enable individuals to view the most up-to-date requirements for being on campus.

New campus cases*

No student residents and no on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

891,017 Zoom meetings held at UCI campus in 2020

OIT had a hand in just about everything at UCI during the remote working and learning environment, from commencement and student COVID-19 testing, to research and campus automation. You can read about these and other interesting facts at Technology at UCI: 2020 Impact Report. The engaging web report illustrates in snackable bites the technology changes we all went through last year and the volume of numbers behind them.

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, OC Register and Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.

California digital vaccine records’ QR codes are a feature, not a bug

After accessing their digital COVID-19 vaccination records, some Californians noticed the state-generated reports include QR codes that, when scanned, don’t seem to retrieve any information. But that’s a feature — not a bug — of the 11-day-old verification system, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Expert questions California's COVID-19 restrictions

The science shows it is no longer necessary for California to have any COVID-19 limitations because of the high rate of vaccinations and low test positivity rate throughout the state. But the infectious disease expert says it’s equally important the state continues efforts to convince hesitant Californians to get the vaccine by using strategies like incentives, compassionate education and word of mouth.

Moderna says it protects against Delta, other variants

Moderna says that its coronavirus vaccine was found in lab experiments to work against emerging variants, including the Delta variant first identified in India.

What you need to know about the Delta variant

As the U.S. passes 600,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, there are warnings about a new strain, the Delta variant, taking over. Here are the answers to commonly asked questions.

The latest on vaccination efforts in the US

CDC data shows four states have vaccinated less than half of their adults against COVID-19, just days before the White House’s July 4 goal to inoculate 70% of adults with at least one dose.

HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER

Rembrandt's artwork restored by AI

For the first time in 300 years, Rembrandt's famed "The Night Watch" is back on display in its original size with missing parts temporarily restored in an exhibition aided by artificial intelligence. Rembrandt finished the large canvas, which portrays the captain of an Amsterdam city militia ordering his men into action, in 1642. Although it is now considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age, strips were cut from all four sides of it during a move in 1715.

#UCIconnected

Dear UCI faculty member,
Being an educator is not an easy job, & the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t make it any easier. However, you found a way to make things work. Your unwavering patience & contributions are evident not just in the virtual classroom setting, but also in your home setting. For all of this & more, thank you for rising to the challenge. Thank you for caring about our success & creating an interactive learning environment through this difficult time.
-a UCI student

The All-truism project (@alltruism_uci on Instagram), which is supported through a Barnes & Noble College Scholarship, aims to create connections through community, compassion and the creative arts. In this series, Anteaters write letters to faculty and staff.

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.