New Coronavirus Guidelines

Before reproducing the item below, we again note the paradox of having students in dorms (one in a room) when almost all classes are online. It simply adds to the potential for infection of essential workers who must be on campus and, in fact, requires more people to be involved in supervising students who in principle are to sit in their single rooms and do courses online.

From an email circulated late yesterday afternoon:

Dear Colleagues:

I hope this important update finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe.

UCLA has significantly revised our Standard Operating Procedure for Responding to COVID-19 Cases on the UCLA Campus (PDF). The document addresses the process for reporting cases in which an individual with COVID-19 has been on UCLA property (not including UCLA Health System facilities) within 48 hours prior to or during their symptomatic period or in which an asymptomatic individual receives a positive test result.

I encourage you to review the revised procedures and share the above link with your teams.

The standard operating procedure was first issued in April. The key revisions include:

• Incorporating the recently formed UCLA Exposure Management Team, which investigates confirmed COVID-19 cases and close contacts in coordination with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

• Adding a new reporting process via the UCLA COVID Call Center (previously the UCLA Infectious Diseases Hotline), which retains the same phone number, 310-267-3300. COVID-19 case reporting shall be sent to a central email, covidcallcenter@mednet.ucla.edu.

• Revising off-hour reporting instructions.
  • Please note: Although this is not detailed in the document, the UCLA COVID Call Center has expanded its hours of operation to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

• Adding procedures for third-party contract workers and essential visitors.
  • Please note: Symptom monitoring requirements and associated protocols for invited third parties have also been developed. Details are provided in the UCLA Requirements for COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring for Third-party Contract Workers (PDF) and Essential Visitors (PDF).

• Further clarifying application of the standard operating procedure to incidents on UCLA property, including main campus and off-campus properties. (UCLA Health buildings are excluded.)

• Emphasizing the eight-hour Cal/OSHA requirement to report to the UCLA Environment, Health & Safety Serious Injury hotline for cases involving overnight hospitalization. (The injury hotline is 310-825-9797.)

• Revising Appendix E: Courtesy Notification Letter Template.

• Adding Appendix F: Employee Notification Letter Template.

The standard operating procedure is designed to facilitate public 

Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation as we update these procedures to help keep Bruins safer during this very challenging time. If you have any questions, please email covid19@ucla.edu.health mitigation measures and to promote the well-being of our Bruin community and of those who visit UCLA, as are our requirements for wearing a face covering while on campus, practicing physical distancing of at least 6 feet, completing daily symptom monitoring and washing hands frequently. You can find the standard operating procedure, symptom monitoring protocols and other protocols and procedures at Bruins Safe Online.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Beck

Administrative Vice Chancellor