UCLA Left Us Some Souvenirs of 2020 Last Night

The above alert arrived last night by cellphone. And there was this (below), via email:

Dear Bruin Community:

On Dec. 30 L.A. County Department of Public Health issued a Revised Temporary Targeted Safer At Home Health Officer Order For Control Of COVID-19 (PDF). That Order states:

“Persons arriving in the County of Los Angeles from anywhere outside of the Southern California Region (Region) on or from non-essential travel, including returning County of Los Angeles residents, must self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival.”

Therefore, students, faculty and staff who traveled outside of the Southern California Region (defined as the counties of Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura) may not return to in-person classes or on-site work in UCLA facilities until they have completed the 10-day self-quarantine. Travel within the Southern California Region can also be considered high risk if it includes gathering in or being exposed to large groups, and self-quarantining is also recommended (although not required) for these individuals prior to returning to activities on UCLA properties.

The Order provides for limited exemptions (PDF) from the travel quarantine requirement, including for health care professionals. This also includes School of Medicine house staff (GME) and medical students (UME), School of Dentistry, and School of Nursing students involved in clinical activities. If you are a health care worker with questions about this travel directive, please contact the UCLA COVID-19 Call Center at (310) 267-3300, which is open daily from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Students returning from outside the Region to live in university housing or within the Region will be required to self-quarantine in their rooms for 10 days before participating in work, class or other approved activities on UCLA property. Any students who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should not return to university housing from the break until they have been cleared by their physician.

As a reminder, beginning on Jan. 3, all on-campus residents and undergraduates living in UCLA apartments who have not traveled outside the Region will enter a period of sequestration until they receive two negative COVID-19 test results. Details can be reviewed on the UCLA Housing website.

All in-person classes will be conducted remotely for the week of Jan. 3 as previously planned. Any faculty or other academic appointees scheduled to work on campus must adhere to the 10-day quarantine mandate if they traveled outside the Region and should contact their dean or department chair if they will not be able to meet their class when scheduled in person.

Remember the basics:

• Wear a face covering over your mouth, nose and chin, and maintain a minimum of 6 feet of distance between yourself and others.

• Avoid crowded areas and wash your hands frequently. Use hand sanitizer when a hand-washing facility is not readily available.

• Add the new CA Notify app to your smartphone to learn about possible exposure to the virus.

• If you think you may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, feel ill or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, you should isolate yourself, avoid contact with others and consult your medical provider.

• Students with COVID-19–related concerns can reach an Ashe Center clinician by visiting the Student Health Patient Portal or by calling the Ashe Center COVID-19 Hotline at (310) 206-6217 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily (except Jan. 1). Calls received after hours will be answered the following day.

• Free weekday COVID-19 surveillance testing resumes on Monday, Jan. 4 for students, faculty and staff authorized to work, learn or live in UCLA facilities. Scheduling for those already registered to participate in testing is available via SummerBio. For those needing to be added to the surveillance testing program may do so via the SummerBio registration form.

• Information on voluntary, free, weekly surveillance testing for asymptomatic health care workers for UCLA Health employees can be found at this link (PDF – authentication required).

• L.A. County residents can also get tested directly through L.A. County, or by obtaining a referral to an outside facility. Please note that testing through the County program may involve a fee, which is not reimbursed by UCLA.

L.A. County, California and the nation are all experiencing a significant surge in COVID-19 cases and related deaths. The UCLA community is not immune from the effects of the virus. Our individual decisions and actions can have an effect on our health and that of our families, friends and communities. The short-term sacrifices we make now can and will have a lasting long-term positive impact.

I am grateful for the care and resiliency you have already shown as individuals and as a community. Your continued efforts to support and care for one another will help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Each and every one of you makes UCLA remarkable and I thank you for that.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Beck

Administrative Vice Chancellor