Coronavirus

University of California President Janet Napolitano, in a March 27 statement, recognized Congress for working together to pass the emergency spending package, and said that the unprecedented spending bill would allow the University of California to begin to meet extraordinary challenges of the pandemic. Read her full statement.

The leaders of California's three systems of public higher educaion have united in a request for federal financial and regulatory assistance to help them manage the significant impacts that have resulted on their institutions and communities from the coronavirus outbreak. Read the letter to California's Congressional delegation from UC President Janet Napolitano, California State University Chancellor Timothy White and California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley.  

Join UC San Diego Health in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we can address this emergency and help those affected by it. There are many ways to get involved, including through donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Supplies. Find more details here.

In a letter to the UC Berkeley community, Chancellor Carol Christ said that the campus would postpone commencement, due to the public health threat posed by COVID-19. "We find ourselves in uncharted waters in having to make a decision about something as special as commencement. We all love commencement, and you all are certainly so very deserving of a meaningful celebration that honors all of your hard work and accomplishments at Berkeley," she wrote. Christ asked students to respond to a survey seeking their ideas for when and how to celebrate at a later date. 

The whole UC San Francisco community is working hard to ensure that it can continue to provide the best care to those who need it and the best solutions to this global pandemic. You can help with this effort. UCSF is accepting donations of critical supplies for frontline care providers, including protective equipment and sanitizing items. UCSF has set up donation sites at three locations, opening on Monday, March 23. They will be receiving donations seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please visit this UCSF page for more details.

UC leadership, in a letter to the California congressional delegation, provided an update on the university’s on-the-ground efforts to prevent, detect and treat COVID-19 and to ask for their continued partnership in addressing this public health and economic crisis.

To meet the increased need for COVID-19 testing that is likely to emerge in the Bay Area in the coming weeks, UCSF Health, with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and CZ Biohub, is now working to significantly expand our testing capacity for our patients. The new collaboration will also allow us to offer COVID-19 testing to patient populations served by our partner hospital Zuckerberg San Francisco General and other sites operated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

UC leaders are monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely, and doing everything they can to protect students, faculty, staff, medical center patients and campus visitors, UC President Janet Napolitano writes: "Stay calm and informed. Take care of yourself, your families and your community. Together, we will weather this crisis."