June 16 - Updates on COVID-19

Nighttime falls over Watson Bridge. Photo by Ian Parker

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

No new campus cases*

No student residents or 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

The ongoing urban exodus

The National Bureau of Economic Research recently published a white paper by Jan Brueckner, UCI Distinguished Professor of economics, and his colleagues Matthew Kahn and Gary Lin at Johns Hopkins University considering the possible effects that ongoing remote work may have on housing markets, especially in the more densely populated and pricey urban areas. Brueckner shares his insights here.

Coping with reentry anxiety as the pandemic wanes

After enduring 15 months of varying levels of lockdown, feeling comfortable in the public spaces we used to frequent may take a while. Taking it slow may be the best approach.

Bethany Urbano, B.A. in education sciences and B.A. in political science

When Bethany Urbano was growing up in Santa Ana, the youngest of four children being raised by a single mother who only reached the first grade before being forced to leave school, she knew that the most important things in life are family and community. That mindset has guided her in her pursuit of bachelor’s degrees in both education and political science.

Throughout Urbano’s tenure at UCI, she has gotten involved in nearly everything she could and has made full use of UCI’s Summer Academic Enrichment Program, which she describes as an indispensable resource.

“Being fortunate enough to participate in this prestigious program humbled me,” Urbano says. “It cultivated my mentality to serve first and drove my serve-first mentality into all aspects of my life.”

She will transition to the professional world this summer, seeking to eventually manage a philanthropic organization and work with UNICEF or the United Nations, where she could give back to the people who made her journey possible.

“My beloved community is a unique example of how American and Mexican communities blend together to create the Chicano culture,” Urbano says. “I want to be part of an organization that brings knowledge and resources to communities and governments around the world in order to help alleviate poverty and support the advancement of quality education.”

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.

Dangerous variant 'rapidly increasing' in US, expert says

The Delta variant, first reported in India, currently accounts for nearly 10% of coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.

EU agrees to start lifting travel restrictions on Americans

EU members agreed Wednesday to add the U.S. to the list of countries from which restrictions on nonessential travel should be lifted. 

US COVID death toll hits 600,000, equal to yearly cancer toll

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 600,000 on Tuesday, even as the vaccination drive has drastically brought down daily cases and fatalities and allowed the country to emerge from the gloom and look forward to summer.

Many Californians keep masks on even as state reopens

Despite Tuesday’s massive reopening of the California economy and the loosening of COVID-19 rules that have been in place for more than a year, many people continued to wear masks in public, saying they felt it was better to be safe than sorry.

O.C. residents enjoy reopening, largely marking an end to masks

Fully vaccinated residents in Orange County no longer have to wear masks in most places or stay six feet away from others.

HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER

New Yorker cartoon unveils new vaccine conspiracy

“It appears that the vaccines are effective and the humans are returning to work. If things go as planned, we’ll have the run of the house by the end of the year.”

#UCIconnected

All-truism is a project supported by the Barnes & Noble Scholarship, which aims to create connections through community, compassion and the creative arts. During each call for letters, Anteaters write for a theme and population. Here, they write letters to faculty and staff.

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.