UCI Forward

UCI Forward is our commitment to the well-being of our community as we ramp up campus operations. Working together, each of us doing our part, we can move UCI Forward.

April 7 - Updates on COVID-19

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Graphic asks Who should get the covid-19 vaccine and who should not

All eligible adults should receive the vaccine. If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to its ingredients or have a bleeding disorder, please talk to your doctor about getting the vaccine. Vaccination is currently not authorized for children, but this is expected to change in the future. SleevesUpUCI #UCIForward

TODAY'S CAMPUS UPDATES

New campus case*

One student resident and zero on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

National Public Health Week 2021: Building Bridges to Better Health

Broader standards, not lower standards

In this blog post, Vice Provost Michael Dennin discusses some of the ways that higher education institutions can broaden academic standards to support inclusive excellence.

Upcoming events

GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS

This section curates noteworthy coronavirus news, trends and opinions. No endorsement by UCI is implied. Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and OC Register for students, faculty and staff.

Biden moves up COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for all adults

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he’s bumping up to April 19 his deadline for states to make all adults in the U.S. eligible for coronavirus vaccines.

U.K. variant is now the dominant strain in U.S.

The coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom is now the most common strain of coronavirus in the United States, says CDC chief.

Just five states account for nearly half of new U.S. cases

New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey together have reported 44% of the nation’s new coronavirus infections. The situation is putting pressure on the federal government to consider changing how it distributes vaccines by sending more doses to hot spots.

CDC director says latest surge is fueled by young people

A top U.S. public health official says young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans is preventing the most serious cases among seniors.

COVID tests or proof of vaccination required for events in California

The California Department of Public Health said the new guidelines for indoor meetings, receptions and conferences across the state go into effect April 15.

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.

Engineer builds ‘world’s largest’ Switch and donates it to children’s hospital

The fully functional console is estimated to be 650% larger than a regular Nintendo Switch. Built by “casual engineer” Michael Pick, who shared a video detailing the creation on YouTube this weekend, the giant Switch was donated to the Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I really like the Nintendo Switch. It’s small, it’s portable, but it’s really easy to lose, and for me that was a problem,” he said. “So I decided to fix that by making something that was a little bit larger, and just a little bit harder to lose.”

A paper cowboy rides out his quarantine in Australian hotel

David Marriott has taken recycling to the next level during the pandemic. Using the high quality paper bags his food was delivered in each day, Marriott, an art director for TV commercials, has fashioned an entire cowboy outfit and even a horse.

#UCIconnected

Lisbeth Casillas, clinical applications analyst for UCI HealthFor the hugs

Lisbeth Casillas, clinical applications analyst for UCI Health, says she got the COVID-19 vaccine so she can hug her family and friends again, and “in the name of all the ones who left us prior to getting the vaccine.”

If you have a shoutout, or if you’d like to share what you’ve been up to during the pandemic, send photos and/or words about your COVID-19 vaccination, activities, workstation, volunteering, etc., to marketing@uci.edu or post on social media with

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION

* Potential workplace exposure: UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.