June 4 - Updates on COVID-19

The Academic Excellence Black Scholars House in the Arroyo Vista housing community. Photo by Ian Parker

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

Men's baseball NCAA regionals

The Anteaters are heading to Stanford in the NCAA regionals starting today, and the first game will be against Nevada. Join the UCI Alumni Association as they host the official virtual watch party in collaboration with UCI Athletics. Be sure to wear that Anteater gear all weekend!

No new campus cases*

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

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

#IamUCI: Brad Greene

The offer of a full athletic scholarship to play basketball definitely piqued Brad Greene’s interest in attending UCI, but he was hesitant to make the move from his tight-knit Paiute-Shoshone reservation in Lone Pine to a big university. Those initial concerns were allayed when he visited the campus because “people here made me feel comfortable,” Greene says. And four years later, being named the 2020-21 Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year confirmed his decision. Strong UCI community connections – both on the court and in the classroom – gave Greene confidence. “As a freshman, I wasn’t outgoing, but my teammates and classmates helped me open up,” he says. “I’m now at ease sharing my experiences with large groups.” His plans to pursue an NBA career after graduation were inspired partly by how he felt when playing at the Bren Events Center. “The entire environment was just breathtaking, especially during events like homecoming,” Greene says. “Feeling the energy of students, alumni and everyone in the crowd was really special.”

UC NEWS

Friday fun fact

Future professoriate: 25 percent of UC faculty and 20 percent of CSU faculty received their doctorate from the University of California.

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.

New increases in teen hospitalization rates reinforce importance of COVID vaccination

A recent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations among people ages 12 to 17 reinforces the importance of practicing prevention measures against the coronavirus and vaccination, according to a study released today in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Cal OSHA approves revisions to COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards

The Cal OSHA Standards Board met yesterday and voted to approve revisions to the Cal OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards. The new standards are expected to go into effect on June 15, which is also when California is anticipated to exit the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Until then, the current emergency temporary standards still apply in the workplace which include masking and physical distancing. UCI officials are reviewing the changes and will have updated guidance out to the campus community. Until then, current UCI policies are still in effect.

Governor launches California restaurant comeback

As California’s economy comes roaring back and the state prepares to fully reopen this month, the governor yesterday announced action to ensure that restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries continue to benefit from pandemic regulatory relief – including expanded outdoor dining and the sale of to-go alcoholic drinks – to support the recovery of businesses and protect public health.

Biden administration faces uphill battle to meet its July 4 vaccination goal

The United States is facing an uphill battle to meet President Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70% of adults with at least one dose by July 4, according to a CNN analysis. But the administration continues to push ahead with new programs and initiatives, and key players remain hopeful that the goal will be met.

California draws 15 winners of $50,000 vaccine prizes

It was the first in a series of drawings for $16.5 million in prize money aimed at encouraging Californians to get their shots ahead of June 15, when the state plans to lift almost all virus-related restrictions.

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.

Two coworkers. Two husbands in trouble. One conversation that changed everything.

Susan Ellis and Tia Wimbush had worked together for years at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Both of their husbands went into renal failure around the same time and both of them needed kidney transplants.

It was a random bathroom conversation in the fall of 2019 when they realized something incredible about each other's circumstances. Ellis's husband needed a kidney from someone with blood type O -- Wimbush said that she’s blood type O. Wimbush's husband needed a kidney from someone with blood type A -- Ellis revealed that she’s blood type A.

#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.