COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Requirement and Return to Campus COVID-19 Testing Instructions Winter 2023

Dec. 15, 2022

Dear UCI Students,

I hope that you are having a relaxing and enjoyable winter break. I am writing to provide you with a few important updates in preparation for Winter quarter 2023.

COVID-19 Bivalent Booster - January 6, 2023 Policy Compliance Deadline

Per the University of California Vaccination Programs Policy, all UCI students, as a condition of physical presence at a University location or in a University program, must receive a COVID-19 bivalent booster and attest to having received the booster or decline receiving the booster. UCI has set a deadline of January 6, 2023 for students to comply with this policy requirement. The bivalent booster attestation or declination is required even if you have previously had and submitted documentation of a booster dose given prior to September 1, 2022.

To comply with this requirement, log into the Student Health Center Patient Portal and take the following steps:

• If you have received a COVID-19 bivalent booster dose, follow the prompts and enter in the date you received the booster dose and the manufacturer (instructions). You do not need to upload documentation.
   
• If you are declining the booster dose, you must complete a Vaccine Declination form and submit it on or before January 6, 2023. Students should upload the Vaccine Declination Letter to the Student Health Patient Portal prior to the deadline. Any Covered Individual who is not vaccinated must observe additional non-pharmaceutical interventions if required by the university. Please upload the Vaccine Declination form using the instructions above as you would with a regular vaccination card for COVID-19. You will enter the date and select COVID19 Bivalent Decline Form as the immunization.
   
• Please follow current general campus recommendations, or requirements should they be applied, for masking and testing.

If you recently had COVID-19 and would like to defer your COVID-19 bivalent booster dose for 90 days or more after your diagnosis, you may do so by following the steps above to decline the booster. Then, once you have received the booster, you may log back into the portal and follow the instructions to attest to having received the booster.

Once you have completed the process of either attesting to having received the COVID-19 bivalent booster dose or declined receiving the booster dose, you will be considered compliant with the policy.

Winter 2023 In-Person Instruction
and Return to Campus COVID-19 Testing

As we prepare to return to campus for Winter Quarter 2023 in person instruction, we are providing you with campus COVID-19 testing requirements prior to and upon returning for Winter Quarter. The return testing requirements are the same as they were for Fall Quarter 2022 return. Please see the instructions below.

Pre-Arrival Testing

All students returning to campus for Winter quarter 2023 should take a COVID-19 test within 24-48 hours prior to your return to campus. You may use a home antigen test or a PCR test. PCR testing is available at most pharmacies and home antigen tests are widely available from pharmacies and many health care providers. If you test positive, report your case to campus and do not return to campus until you meet criteria to be cleared from isolation. You do not need to upload or report a negative test result.

Arrival Testing

Free Antigen Test Kits Available: Free antigen test kits will be made available to all students starting on January 3, 2023. Residential students can pick them up in your student housing community and residential and commuter students can pick them up at various locations across campus as well.

On-Campus Residents (Student Housing and ACC Communities):

Residential students returning from off-campus to their campus residence:

1. Pick up your free antigen tests at your housing community’s administrative office starting on January 3, 2023.
2. Test upon your arrival and again five days later.

Residential students who remain on campus for the duration of the Winter Break:

1. Pick up your free antigen tests at your housing community’s administrative office starting on January 3, 2023.
2. Test upon receiving your test kit and again five days later.

Commuter Students:

1. Test upon your return to campus.

What to do if you Test Positive

If you test positive, please isolate and report your case to campus by calling Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services (CTVNS) at 949-824-2300 or via email at contacttracing@uci.edu. For residential students, you should stay in your room or residence and minimize any contact with others pending instructions from CTVNS and remain masked, except when sleeping or eating.

You do not need to upload or report a negative test result.

We take compliance with these university directives seriously. Students who fail to adhere to campus policies are subject to university proceedings that may result in loss of privileges such as a restriction from the campus wifi, denial of campus services, and disciplinary action including, but not limited to suspension or dismissal. Students are also subject to disciplinary action for off-campus behaviors (see 101.00a) that affect the health and safety of community members. For more information, please refer to the COVID-19 policy compliance website.

We hope you have a safe and healthy winter break and thank you in advance for taking steps as we return for winter quarter to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For the most up to date information on COVID-19 and campus policies and services, please visit UCI Forward.

Sincerely,