August 27 - Updates on COVID-19
Section 1
CAMPUS SNAPSHOT
A plant’s eye view of the water tower. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI.
TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES
Guidelines for reimbursable expenses while working remotely
Business offices from across campus have been receiving requests from employees for reimbursements of expenses associated with working from home during the COVID-19 crisis. Please review the communication that provides guidance on how University of California policy should be applied to the reimbursement of these expenses.
Type A blood is needed
We currently need type A blood donors – males, as well as females who have no history of pregnancy. When you donate blood, we separate the red cells from the plasma and the plasma is frozen. Plasma is commonly needed in traumas and as the only level 1 trauma center in Orange County, we need to maintain a sufficient supply at all times. Our donor center in Orange is open Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are also offering free COVID-19 antibody testing for all qualified donors (all blood types accepted). Appointments are required in order to maintain social distancing. Visit this website to see donor requirements.
Positive cases
One student, living off campus, has tested positive for coronavirus and one employee has tested positive. One coworker has also recovered. For a cumulative case count visit www.uci.edu/coronavirus.
UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS
Making a home for our international students online
UCI Office of Global Engagement is hosting a training event for UCI staff and faculty. Participants will learn how to engage international students with a new platform called Campus Groups, which has been adopted to help build a community across campus through digital and in-person events. An expert on Campus Groups will share how UCI staff and faculty can set up groups and events, create message boards, and engage with international students online using this tool. The event is tomorrow, August 28, from 2 to 3 p.m. and registration is required.
COVID-19, civil unrest, and back to school resources
Visit the UCI EAP website for information, including a Back to School Resource Guide, Civil Unrest Resource Guide and COVID-19 Resource Page to help with challenges surrounding our current environment.
UC UPDATES
UC officials discourage students from gatherings that violate health regulations
Top leaders of the University of California participated in an online forum where they took questions from reporters about the pandemic’s impact on the UC system, including addressing the types of crowded parties that have spread COVID-19 infections at university campuses across the state and country.
HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER
Amid the heartbreaking loss of life and economic hardship wrought by the coronavirus, we recognize the need for stories of kindness, hope, courage and humor.
Finding humor despite grim circumstances
No matter how grim the news, — some people will always find humor. This paper compiled a list of a dozen quips for a few giggles.
GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS
Note: Some news organizations require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal for students, faculty and staff.
Spanish translation ordered for OC’s largest testing site
Six weeks after the Orange County Board of Supervisors opened the county’s largest coronavirus testing site, they are now directing that its registration form be made available in languages other than English.
The worst way to show genuine emotion remotely, and the best
Researchers conducted a series of studies to test three modes of communication for their ability to convey emotion: e-mail, phone, and face-to-face (in person or virtual). The findings are clear. If you want to be perceived as being emotionally authentic, have a face-to-face virtual meeting. If you’re masking your true feelings or you feel angry, anxious or stressed, settle for an audio-only call.
U.S. consumer confidence falls in August to lowest in 6 years
U.S. consumer confidence fell for the second consecutive month, sinking to the lowest levels in more than six years as a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in many parts of the country heightened pessimism. Because consumer spending accounts for 70% of economic activity in the U.S., a drop-off in confidence gets a lot of attention from economists.
Dr. Clayton Chau named permanent chief health officer for OC
On Tuesday, August 25, the OC Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to name Dr. Clayton Chau, the Chief Health Officer, of the Orange County Health Care Agency. Chau has currently been serving as interim Chief Health Officer since June and will continue his dual position as the agency’s director.
Gov. Newsom announces deal that would more than double the state’s testing capacity
Coming in addition to the more than 100,000 tests conducted across the state on average each day, the new lab and supply chain run by the diagnostics company PerkinElmer, based in Massachusetts, will allow for 150,000 more tests per day, with a required turnaround of no more than two days, allowing public health officials to move quickly to identify outbreaks.
Disneyland ‘ready’ to reopen when California allows
The head of Disney’s theme parks said the company is ready to reopen Disneylandwhen officials establish health and safety guidelines that would allow theme parks to reopen.
Another 1 million Americans file for unemployment
Just over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten jobs.
More than 90% of employers say working remote hasn’t hurt productivity
According to a recent survey of nearly 800 employers, 83% say they plan to put more flexible work policies in place and 94% said their company productivity was the same or higher.
The LA Zoo officially reopens
After 166 days of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the LA Zoo has officially reopened. To limit crowds, tickets are being sold in two-week blocks and all customers must have advance, timed-entry tickets.
California officials oppose CDC’s looser COVID-19 testing protocols
Governor Newsom announced that he doesn’t agree with the new looser CDC guidelines regarding testing and travel protocols and says California will not be influenced by that change.
UCI IN THE NEWS - COVID-19 Article List
KPCC – All Things Considered, Aug. 21, 2020 (Audio)
How widespread is COVID-19 in Orange County? New study hopes to find out
Medium, Aug. 25, 2020
University engineering clubs get moving again
The Oprah Magazine, Aug. 26, 2020
A young adult author’s tweet went viral — but somehow, Dr. Fauci got the credit
The Washington Post, Aug. 27, 2020
The American school year is a mess — so these families decided to move abroad
Voice of OC, Aug. 27, 2020
Child immunization rates drop due to pandemic raising concerns as schools start
Gulf Times, Aug. 26, 2020
What to do when COVID-19 doesn’t go away psychologically?
MORE INFORMATION
OC-COVID19.org - powered by UCI and UCI Health, a website devoted to providing timely, useful, evidence-based information about the novel coronavirus pandemic to our friends and neighbors across Orange County
UCI Coronavirus Information Hub - more information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health