Coronavirus

Updated January 25 to add information from UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz

Several campuses have provided updates to their winter quarter or spring semester plans, including dates for a return to in-person instruction.

UC Berkeley (1/25): https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/01/25/berkeley-prepares-to-resume-in-person-instruction-next-week/
UC Davis (1/24): https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/checking-chancellor-may-our-return-campus
UC Irvine (1/21): https://uci.edu/coronavirus/messages/220121-in-person-instruction-resumes-jan-31.php
UCLA (1/21): https://covid-19.ucla.edu/in-person-instruction-to-resume-on-jan-31/
UC Merced (1/21): https://doyourpart.ucmerced.edu/content/staged-return-campus
UC Riverside (1/24): https://insideucr.ucr.edu/announcements/2022/01/24/person-instruction-resumes-jan-31
UC San Diego (1/24): https://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2022/2022-1-24-3.html
UC Santa Barbara (1/21): https://chancellor.ucsb.edu/memos/2022-01-21-winter-quarter-instruction-update
UC Santa Cruz (1/25): https://slugstrong.ucsc.edu/

Campuses continue to provide updates. Please visit the sites below for the latest information pertaining to your campus.

Please visit our campus coronavirus sites for further campus-specific updates as the situation with the omicron variant evolves.

• UC Berkeley https://coronavirus.berkeley.edu/
• UC Davis https://www.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/news
• UC Irvine https://uci.edu/coronavirus/messages/index.php
• UCLA https://covid-19.ucla.edu/
• UC Merced https://doyourpart.ucmerced.edu/COVID-19-Policies-and-Communications
• UC Riverside https://campusreturn.ucr.edu/news-and-announcements
• UC San Diego https://returntolearn.ucsd.edu/news-and-updates/updates-to-campus/index.html
• UC San Francisco https://coronavirus.ucsf.edu/messages-ucsf-community
• UC Santa Barbara https://www.ucsb.edu/COVID-19-information/campus-updates
• UC Santa Cruz https://healthcenter.ucsc.edu/services/covid-19/covid-updates.html

Updated Jan 10. 2022 to add UC Santa Barbara release.

In an effort to mitigate the health impacts of COVID-19, several campuses have issued revisions to their winter quarter or winter semester plans as published below.

• UC Berkeley (1/7): https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/01/07/uc-berkeley-will-begin-spring-semester-with-mostly-remote-instruction/
• UC Davis (1/6): https://twitter.com/ucdavis/status/1479227414098198528
• UC Irvine (1/6): https://chancellor.uci.edu/engagement/campus-communications/2022/220106-extension-of-remote-instruction.php
• UCLA (1/6): https://covid-19.ucla.edu/monitoring-our-winter-quarter-return/
• UC Merced (1/4): https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2022/uc-merced-prepares-spring-semester-girds-omicron
• UC Riverside (1/7): https://insideucr.ucr.edu/announcements/2022/01/07/extension-remote-instruction
• UC San Diego (1/6): https://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2022/2022-1-6-5.html
• UC Santa Barbara (1/8): https://chancellor.ucsb.edu/memos/2022-01-08-update-winter-quarter-instruction
• UC Santa Cruz (1/6): https://www.instagram.com/p/CYaP2BWJEUZ/

Campuses continue to provide updates. Please visit the sites below for the latest information pertaining to your campus.

Please visit our campus coronavirus sites for further campus-specific updates as the situation with the omicron variant evolves.

• UC Berkeley https://coronavirus.berkeley.edu/
• UC Davis https://www.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/news
• UC Irvine https://uci.edu/coronavirus/messages/index.php
• UCLA https://covid-19.ucla.edu/
• UC Merced https://doyourpart.ucmerced.edu/COVID-19-Policies-and-Communications
• UC Riverside https://campusreturn.ucr.edu/news-and-announcements
• UC San Diego https://returntolearn.ucsd.edu/news-and-updates/updates-to-campus/index.html
• UC San Francisco https://coronavirus.ucsf.edu/messages-ucsf-community
• UC Santa Barbara https://www.ucsb.edu/COVID-19-information/campus-updates
• UC Santa Cruz https://healthcenter.ucsc.edu/services/covid-19/covid-updates.html

Updated Jan 6. 2022 to prioritize campus sites as campus-specific plans continue to be updated.

Campuses continue to provide updates. Please visit the sites below for the latest information pertaining to your campus.

Please visit our campus coronavirus sites for further campus-specific updates as the situation with the omicron variant evolves.

• UC Berkeley https://coronavirus.berkeley.edu/
• UC Davis https://www.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/news
• UC Irvine https://uci.edu/coronavirus/messages/index.php
• UCLA https://covid-19.ucla.edu/
• UC Merced https://doyourpart.ucmerced.edu/COVID-19-Policies-and-Communications
• UC Riverside https://campusreturn.ucr.edu/news-and-announcements
• UC San Diego https://returntolearn.ucsd.edu/news-and-updates/updates-to-campus/index.html
• UC San Francisco https://coronavirus.ucsf.edu/messages-ucsf-community
• UC Santa Barbara https://www.ucsb.edu/COVID-19-information/campus-updates
• UC Santa Cruz https://healthcenter.ucsc.edu/services/covid-19/covid-updates.html

Original Dec. 21 post (updated Dec. 22; UC Merced update added Jan. 6): Today (Dec. 21) UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., issued a letter to the 10 UC chancellors regarding the omicron variant and its impact on public health. Per the letter, which requests of each campus a plan that mitigates public health impacts, responds to the unique circumstances facing each campus and maintains teaching and research operations prior to January return, several campuses have issued statements regarding their winter quarter plans.

UC Davis (12/21): https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/chancellor-provost-update-winter-quarter
UC Irvine (12/21): https://chancellor.uci.edu/engagement/campus-communications/2021/211221-update-on-winter-instruction.php
UCLA (12/21): https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-winter-quarter-2022-remote-instruction-vaccine-boosters
UC Riverside (12/21): https://insideucr.ucr.edu/announcements/2021/12/21/update-beginning-winter-quarter
UC San Diego (12/21): https://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2021/2021-12-21-2.html
UC Santa Barbara (12/21): https://chancellor.ucsb.edu/memos-to-campus/update-beginning-winter-quarter-instruction
UC Santa Cruz (12/21): https://news.ucsc.edu/2021/12/winter-quarter-update.html

UC Berkeley and UC Merced are on a semester system. UC Berkeley presently plans for all classes to be in-person, including those that begin before Jan. 18. See this release for more details: https://news.berkeley.edu/2021/12/22/an-update-on-uc-berkeleys-plans-for-the-spring-semester/. UC Merced presently plans a week of remote instruction: https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2022/uc-merced-prepares-spring-semester-girds-omicron

UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., sent the following letter today (Dec. 21) to the 10 UC chancellors about the evolving situation with the omicron variant. Please see the full text below.

December 21, 2021

Dear Chancellors,

As you know, cases of COVID-19 are continuing to rapidly rise across the nation as the Omicron variant spreads. The emergence of this new and fast-moving variant, coupled with student travel to and from campus and the prevalence of gatherings over the holidays, will present our campuses with a unique set of public health challenges as we begin the New Year.

Based on consultation with University leadership and public health experts, I am asking each of you to design and implement a plan for a January return to campus that mitigates public health impacts, responds to the unique circumstances facing your campus, and maintains our teaching and research operations. This plan should incorporate a test, sequester, and retest model as described in the UC Health Coordinating Committee’s guidance for returning students.

This may require campuses to begin the term using remote instruction in order to allow students to complete an appropriate testing protocol as they return to campus. Given the differences in local conditions and campus operations across the University, the length of this remote instruction period may vary from campus to campus.

In line with public health best practices, your return plan should also emphasize the importance of preventive measures on campus, particularly during the initial return phase when students are still in the testing protocol. This should include vigilance around masking and a responsible approach to in-person gatherings. Large, congregant events, particularly indoors, should be avoided in the opening weeks of your winter quarter or spring semester.

The evidence is clear that receiving a booster is essential to protecting yourself and those around you from Omicron and other variants. Therefore, I am also asking each of you to communicate the critical importance of boosters to your campus community, especially at this stage of the pandemic. Eligible students who are returning home should be encouraged to get boosted before coming back to campus. Under existing UC policy, students, faculty, and staff are required to keep their vaccination status up to date. The policy mandates COVID-19 boosters for those who are eligible. Information on booster eligibility is available from the Centers for Disease Control here.

Thank you for your continued leadership during these challenging times, and for your advice, counsel, and input as we plan for 2022. Brenda and I wish you and your families a happy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Michael

Michael V. Drake, M.D.
President
University of California

New guidance is available with regard to emergency grants for students under the new American Recovery Plan (ARP). The University of California is also issuing revised guidelines for the prior round of emergency grant funding (CRRSAA). Please click the links to learn more.

Individual UC campuses have begun to release plans for fall instruction. Plans may be updated further in the future; this is a rolling list and campuses will be added as they release more information. Please check with individual campuses regarding any questions. The UC system as a whole plans to return to primarily in-person instruction as of fall 2021.

UC Berkeley: An update on UC Berkeley’s plans for the fall semester (March 16, 2021)
UC Irvine: UC Irvine Admissions and COVID-19 (microsite)
UCLA: Planning for a fall return to campus (April 2, 2021)
UC Merced: Campus ready: Fall 2021 (March 9, 2021)
UC Riverside: Color tiers will end; UC Riverside revisits fall plans (April 21, 2021)
UC San Diego: Office of the Chancellor: Fall instruction planning update (April 5, 2021)
UC Santa Barbara: Fall 2021 planning update: In-person instruction and housing (April 16, 2021)
UC Santa Cruz: Update on fall quarter instructional planning (March 23, 2021)

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) provided $23 billion to address higher education challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, about one-third of which is allocated to colleges and universities to provide emergency grant aid to students. See a summary of how the University of California plans to implement the CRRSAA emergency aid.

UC Davis is providing free testing, masks and quarantine housing to tens of thousands of people who live nearby. Click the link above to read the full story.