May 18 - Updates on COVID-19

Trees bloom pink as reflected in the windows of Engineering Gateway. Steve Zylius/UCI

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

New campus cases*

No student residents or on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

In this episode of the UCI Podcast, Dr. Marcelle Hayashida, the associate vice chancellor for Wellness, Health & Counseling Services at UCI, discusses the signs that indicate you might need a mental health checkup, the resources students can tap for help and why openness and honesty about your struggles can help both you and others.

Second annual Anteaters in Service Day

At the inaugural event last year there were 225 participants.

Come join the UCI Alumni Association as we host the second annual Anteaters in Service Day! This global program is designed for the UCI Alumni community to gather together and act on the UC mission imperative of public service towards a brilliant future. With the support of chapters and alumni abroad, Anteaters will make positive contributions to their local communities. The event is May 29 and more information on how to sign up is on the webpage.

Upcoming events

• Town Hall with Chancellor Howard Gillman, Wednesday, 1 p.m.

UC NEWS

UC statement on Gov. Newsom’s 2021-22 revised budget

The University of California is deeply grateful to Gov. Newsom for proposing the largest state investment in UC’s history: more than $807 million, which includes more than $506 million in ongoing funding for core campus operations, student needs and medical training. The budget, with the support of legislative leadership, reflects an earlier agreement to fully restore more than $300 million in budget reductions that were enacted in the 2020 state budget.

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, OC Register and Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.

Orange County Health Care Agency on masking

In light of the CDC’s recent announcements on masking, to provide clarity for Orange County residents, the OC Health Care Agency is following the California Department of Public Health’s requirements.

40% of O.C. Residents Fully Vaccinated

Nearly 40% of Orange County residents are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a recent update by the OC Health Care Agency.

Vaccine resistance may hobble Orange County’s July 4 herd immunity goal

“If we want to get to herd immunity by July 4, we’d need at least 600,000 people in our community to want to get a COVID vaccine between the beginning of this week and July,” Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, a deputy health officer for the Orange County Health Care Agency, said.

California’s rebound: COVID-19 declines dramatically even as normal life returns

With California set to fully reopen its economy in a matter of weeks, the state hit a key milestone as coronavirus-related deaths and new cases reached low levels. On Monday night, the average number of daily COVID-19 deaths reported over the past seven-day period was 37 — the same number it has been for several days.

About 60% of Americans have had at least one dose

According to the CDC, 60% of Americans aged 18 and older have gotten at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

COVID cases dropping by 5% or more in nearly every US state

COVID case counts are declining by 5% or more in nearly every U.S. state as nationwide levels of infections and deaths continue their downward trends. An average of about 1.8 million vaccinations are being done in the U.S. each day over the past week, according to federal data.

Vaccines didn’t stop the Yankees’ COVID-19 outbreak - but the case proves how well they work

Nine fully vaccinated members of the New York Yankees — including one player and eight other staff — tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 last week. To many, this may suggest the vaccines, which are extremely effective, don’t work as well as advertised. In fact, the Yankees outbreak is a case study showing how well the vaccines are working.

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.

Photo credit: CNN

The greatest commencement speeches of all time from Obama to Steve Jobs

Graduation speeches, delivered to classes either by a student or an invited guest, are not a uniquely American tradition. But nowhere has the practice lodged itself in popular culture quite like the US. When you boil it all down, most speeches follow a tried and tested formula. A satirical guide published in The New York Times in 1970 shows how little things have changed; key beats to hit include an opening joke, thanking the parents, and obligatory references to Socrates, crossroads and life's inevitable disappointments.

#UCIconnected

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 the #UCIconnected hashtag.

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.