- Author: Linda Forbes
Reminder: COVID-19 Booster Tracking Survey due today, 1/31
In support of UC policy and the recent message from President Drake, please get your booster as soon as you are eligible and take the short COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Tracking Status Survey, by January 31, 2022 ,(or when eligible) to provide your booster validation. In addition to compliance with policy, this information is important for reviewing quarantine or return to work criteria for employees who are exposed to someone who has COVID-19.
Updated UC ANR guidance on returning to the workplace
This is a follow-up to the 1/7/2022 ANR Update that extended operational flexibility through January 31. After a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, test positivity, and hospitalization over the past few weeks, it appears that statewide COVID metrics are turning in a positive direction. Statewide, the rate of daily new cases is declining and test positivity percentages are trending downward. However, there are some areas of the state that are still seeing a high and increasing transmission of COVID-19 in the community. Given this situation, it is recommended that all locations monitor their local conditions and public health guidance. Those locations where COVID case rates are higher than the state average or test positivity is higher than the state average or increasing should continue to exercise caution with increasing the number of employees in the workplace or holding large meetings or public activities until further notice. Otherwise, it is expected that employees will be working in accordance with their signed Remote Work Agreements. If directors have questions regarding the situation in their respective counties, they should contact Brian Oatman.
To monitor conditions in your area, look to your county's Public Health website: https://covid19.ca.gov/get-local-information/#County-websites. Also, CDPH's dashboard provides COVID metrics by county, and in comparison to the state numbers: https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/#county-statewide.
COVID, with all of its variants, has created challenges particularly for our CE Advisors, Community Educators, and other personnel expected to conduct community-engaged research and extension. Many have had to move to smaller gatherings or implement stringent safety measures to continue the important work that requires regular, and often in-person, engagement with partners and clientele. Only so much can be conducted by Zoom without losing program effectiveness. As we push through Omicron in hopes of full opportunity for in-person engagement and relationship building in the near future, we encourage you to keep safety as your top priority and implement strong preventative measures.
Important changes to UC ANR COVID protocols
Due to changes in guidance by the CA Department of Public Health and updates to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Standard, UC ANR has made revisions to several safety protocols summarized here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/safety/files/362651.pdf. Topics include:
- Revised mask protocols
- Isolation/quarantine and return to work protocols
- Testing protocols
- Outbreak protocols