UCLA Needs to Clarify the Meaning of the Lesser Headline

No, the Ukraine situation is not something UCLA can do much about. However, the headline on the left indicates that LA County has moved - as of tomorrow - to dropping the mask mandate for indoor venues so long as vaccination and testing is required.*

In fact, UCLA does require vaccination and testing. So, what is the status of indoor events - such as classes that are currently in week 8 of the ten-week quarter? Are we going to continue to follow current protocols to the end of the winter quarter or make some change?

If you go to the UCLA website on such matters, the most recent announcement is dated February 11 and says the following:

...We want to share that California Gov. Newsom’s recent announcement regarding the state mandate to lift indoor masking requirements for fully vaccinated individuals beginning Feb. 16 does not apply to L.A. County, and in turn does not apply to UCLA.

Counties are authorized to keep stricter guidelines in place, if desired, and the L.A. County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has opted to do so. UCLA cannot be less restrictive than LACDPH and therefore will continue with its universal indoor mask requirement until further notice...

Full notice at https://covid-19.ucla.edu/ucla-indoor-masking-requirements-remain-unchanged/. 

The notice implies that we will not follow the statewide policy because LA County's policy is more restrictive. That situation appears to have changed, but there is no update on the campus website (as of 6:45 AM, Feb. 24).

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*From the LA Times: Fully vaccinated individuals will soon be able to shed their masks indoors at Los Angeles County establishments that screen the inoculation status of visitors and patrons, health officials said Wednesday. While not a complete easing, the revised rules — which take effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday — represent a significant relaxation of the county’s universal indoor mask mandate, which has been in place since July. And depending on how many businesses elect to take advantage, the impact could be both widespread and widely apparent, especially in places like offices, gyms, restaurants, bars and hair salons...

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-02-23/l-a-county-to-relax-mask-rules-at-places-with-vaccine-proof.

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As we noted in a prior post, Berkeley has already moved:

https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2022/02/berkeley-first.html.