July 15 - UCI resumes indoor mask policy on Monday
Section 1
UCI is reinstating its campuswide indoor mask policy on Monday. (See more below.)
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Masks will be mandatory indoors at UCI starting Monday
Because Orange County has moved into the “high community transmission” level per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, UCI will resume its universal masking policy effective Monday, July 18. All individuals on campus will be required to wear a mask or face covering while indoors, regardless of vaccination status, except when alone in an enclosed space. Face coverings are available through Environmental Health & Safety at various locations. Information on obtaining a face covering is on the EH&S website.
Southern California mountain ranges lost 14% of their trees – perhaps permanently – between 1985 and 2021, according to UCI-led research. Photo by Lucas Van Wyk Joel / UCI
UCI researchers document California’s vanishing forests
A new UCI report confirms what many environmentalists have been noticing in recent years: Trees in California’s mountain ranges and open spaces are dying from wildfires and other pressures – and fewer new trees are filling the void. This research marks the first time that scientists have not only been able to measure tree population declines in California but also attribute the changes to such pressures as wildfires, drought stress and logging. UCI researchers used satellite data from the USGS and NASA’s Landsat mission to study vegetation changes between 1985 and 2021. One of the starkest declines in tree cover they documented was in Southern California, where 14% of the tree population in local mountain ranges has vanished.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
California public health bill dies in Sacramento
A ballot initiative that would have raised taxes on California millionaires and billionaires to fund public health programs and pandemic prevention will not be moving forward this year. The initiative would have imposed a less than 1% tax on Californians earning more than $5 million per year, generating as much as $15 billion in revenue over 10 years.
EVENTS
Back to School Back-Up Care
Tuesday, noon (sponsored by HR Wellness)
Go Outside and Play
Tuesday, 2:30 p.m. (sponsored by HR Wellness)
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
Should You Wait for Omicron-Targeting COVID-19 Booster Shots?
Healthline, July 14
Cited: Dr. Susan Huang, UCI Health infectious disease specialist
To solve the water crisis, companies are increasingly turning to AI
Fortune, July 11
Cited: David Feldman, director of Water UCI
Are T-Cell Tests the Key to Monitoring COVID Immunity?
VeryWell Health, July 14
Cited: Phil Felgner, professor of physiology and biophysics
#UCICONNECTED
UCI student and campus bus driver Jaylen D (j.whistle) celebrates graduation. Instagram reel by Kazeem(@shotbyzeem)
#UCIconnected spotlights student, alumni, faculty and staff photos, essays, shoutouts, hobbies, artwork, unusual office decorations, activities and more. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.