July 1 - Updates on COVID-19

Red flowers on white succulent in UCI’s Ecological Preserve. Photo by Ian Parker

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

Editor’s Note: New format for this daily newsletter

Starting Tuesday, the name of this newsletter will change from “UCI COVID-19 Latest Updates” to “UCI Digest” and feature a broader range of campus news, events and updates.

No new campus cases*

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

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

How sounds, smells (and advertisers) can shape our dreams

In a new episode of the UCI Podcast, Sara Mednick, a professor of cognitive neuroscience, discusses how a method used to help patients overcome addictions could be misused by advertisers. A transcript of the interview is available.

UC NEWS

UC statement on state budget agreement

“The restoration of cuts, combined with new ongoing and one-time funding, will not only help campuses recover from the economic challenges of the past year but also bolster key student-centered programs, including financial aid and student mental health services,” Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez and UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., said in a statement issued Wednesday.

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.

‘Breakthrough’ COVID cases rare in state, U.S.

The percentage of fully vaccinated Californians who contracted COVID-19 through June 23 was 0.039%. Nationwide, out of 154 million fully vaccinated Americans, just 4,115 have been hospitalized or died after contracting COVID-19. That’s a rate of 0.0027%. More than three-quarters were 65 or older.

July 4th events return as state reopens

The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register offer their rundowns of Southern California fireworks shows, parades and more. Or, if you’re looking for a more serene holiday, here’s a list of peaceful destinations.

California case numbers rising as Delta variant spreads

California broadly reopened its economy barely two weeks ago and since then an especially contagious coronavirus variant has spread among the unvaccinated, a development that has health officials on edge. On the plus side, Orange County health officials report that 70% of county residents age 18 and up had received at least one vaccine dose as of June 27.

HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER

63 pandemic jokes and puns

Sample gag: “My husband purchased a world map and then gave me a dart and said, ‘Throw this and wherever it lands—that’s where I’m taking you when this pandemic ends.’ Turns out, we’re spending two weeks behind the fridge.”

Why do 1,200 bowling balls a year end up at NYC recycling plant?

They aren’t recyclable, but people keep trying anyway.

#UCIconnected

Dear UCI staff member,
As a student, I feel so fortunate to have a person like you to support my learning. People like you are the ones that inspire me to keep going in my higher education journey. Whether it be through your research, your teaching style, your passion for learning, or your caring nature, you never fail to inspire the students you are surrounded by. Thank you! Your work is very much appreciated.

The All-truism project (@alltruism_uci on Instagram), which is supported through a Barnes & Noble College Scholarship, aims to create connections through community, compassion and the creative arts. In this series, Anteaters 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.