Sept. 20 - $30M gift to UCI; where to get masks on campus
Section 1
UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman greets students during move-in. Photo by Steve Zylius
Each day, a UCI expert will answer one of your questions about COVID-19, vaccinations, variants or the future of work. Submit questions via email.
Today’s question is answered by UCI Environmental Health & Safety.
Where can I find a mask on campus if I don’t have one with me?
Students living in on-campus housing can pick up face coverings from the front desk of the main office of each Student Housing complex. There are also face coverings available at the Information Center located inside the Student Center. Faculty, lecturers and staff can request additional face coverings for their own use or for their classes from their unit’s Buildings Facility Manager. Detailed information is contained in this handy guide.
CAMPUS UPDATES
Guidelines for large indoor gatherings
UCI Environmental Health & Safety has issued instructions on how to regulate entry to indoor events with 1,000 or more people. The main takeaway? Event hosts are responsible for verifying that participants comply with COVID-19 policies by either demonstrating proof vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test result.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
$30 million gift will fund UCI medical research building
Through their Falling Leaves Foundation, UCLA Professor Emeritus Robert A. Mah and Dr. Adeline Yen Mah have donated $30 million toward the construction of a major new research center at UCI. The Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building will be a cross-disciplinary hub for understanding disease etiology and improving medical treatment. The Orange County Register wrote about the announcement.
Anteaters move in to campus housing with carts of suitcases and boxes
Students shuttle back and forth during move-in. Photo by Steve Zylius
Students move boxes into a dorm room. Photo by Steve Zylius
Students and family members pose during move-in. Photo by Corey Tull
Students show off their Anteater pride at Mesa Court. Photo by Corey Tull
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Pfizer, BioNTech say Covid-19 shot for kids is safe and provokes strong immune response
The two companies released their first results of the vaccine’s effect on children ages 5 to 11, saying that the vaccine is safe and creates a robust antibody response, Politico reports. The immune response seen in the children enrolled in the late-stage clinical trial was comparable to that seen in teens and young adults, even though the children's dosage was one-third the amount used in people 12 and over.
COVID vaccinations or negative test to be required at Dodger, SoFi stadium events
Los Angeles County soon will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test to enter any outdoor event with more than 10,000 attendees, including Dodger and SoFi stadiums, as well as Major League Soccer venues, the Los Angeles Times reports. The stricter vaccine-or-test requirements will be imposed beginning Oct. 7.
EVENTS
Anteater Involvement Fair
Today through Wednesday
Fall Virtual Career Fair
Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (sponsored by Division of Career Pathways)
2021 UC Wildfire Symposium (featuring UCI Assistant Professor Michael Mendez)
Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (sponsored by University of California Research and Innovation)
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Felgner’s Lifetime of Vaccine Work Put to Rapid Use
Orange County Business Journal, Sept. 20
Cited: Dr. Philip Felgner, professor of physiology and biophysics and director of the UCI Vaccine Research & Development Center
Kenneth Chang: Helping OC’s Stomachs Get Better
Orange County Business Journal, Sept. 20
Cited: Dr. Kenneth Chang, director of the H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center
Hate attacks are up in Orange County, with a huge increase against Asian Americans, new report says
Los Angeles Times, Sept. 17
Cited: Douglas Haynes, the vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer
COVID-19 NOTIFICATION AND RESOURCES
Four new campus cases
Four on-campus students and no on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 from Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.
Remember to upload your vaccine record
Vaccination is a critical step toward our campus's fall return. Help our community by uploading your vaccine record.
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.
For COVID-19 questions
UCI Forward - information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health
UCI Coronavirus Response Center - available at covid19@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-9918
Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services - assistance with vaccines and vaccine uploads; available at contacttracing@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-2300
Program in Public Health chatline - answers to questions about COVID-19
For questions specific to your personal health situation, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider.