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Read on for an important message from the Graduate Division about testing, vaccination, and masking for Winter Quarter 2022.
See below for an important message from the Graduate Division about testing, vaccination, and masking for Winter Quarter 2022.
Dear Graduate Students,
With the Winter Quarter underway, we as a campus community will need to remain both vigilant and adaptive in our approach for sustaining the educational mission of our campus while also mitigating the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. A successful Winter Quarter depends on everyone taking extra precautions now, and continuing to exercise vigilance throughout the quarter.
This message serves as a reminder of the guidelines for winter quarter testing, vaccination, and masking. We emphasize that knowledge about the Omicron variant is evolving rapidly and we are working closely with public health, infectious disease, and epidemiology experts from other UC campuses to continually refine these mitigation strategies.
COVID-19 Testing
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All students who will be on campus during Winter Quarter are required to obtain a campus COVID-19 test at the beginning of the quarter.
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Students should attempt to return to Santa Barbara no later than January 12, 2022, and should obtain a test on campus as soon as possible after their return to the area.
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Weekly testing thereafter is REQUIRED for students who have not obtained a COVID-19 booster vaccination, and for anyone who is unvaccinated due to an approved medical or religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Testing is available to the campus community free of charge by appointment (8:30 am - 4:45 pm) through the Student Health Patient Portal. Currently, testing will be done via specimen drop off, which requires picking up a test kit and making an appointment to drop it off. Your appointment will provide you with your testing QR code and minimize crowding at the clinic.
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Self-administered test kits, with enclosed instructions, should be picked up outside of Loma Pelona.
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Saliva samples should be prepared at least 50 feet from the testing clinic and at least six feet from other individuals and then returned to the clinic.
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Samples must be returned to the clinic within 4 hours of their preparation.
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Testing requirements will be enforced through the COVID-19 Clearance Badges produced by the UCSB Daily COVID-19 Screening Survey. After the initial two-week testing period, the Clearance Badges will display the purple "Not Cleared to Be On Campus" message if the testing requirements are not met.
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During the first two weeks of the quarter, students are encouraged to study remotely in whatever environment (home/campus) that is most suitable for them. We project this will facilitate a staggered return of students to campus and the local area.
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Anyone who receives a positive COVID-19 test result on campus will be contacted by the UCSB COVID-19 Medical Team to assist with isolation and identifying close contacts. See more information in the Health & Wellbeing section of the UCSB COVID-19 Information webpages.
Required Booster Vaccination
All faculty and staff accessing any UC facility are required to obtain a COVID-19 booster vaccine by February 4, 2022 to comply with UC's SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Program.
If you are currently eligible for the booster (see eligibility criteria below) but have not received one, you should do so as soon as possible. Individuals with previously approved exemptions are also exempt from the booster requirement.
UC Santa Barbara is partnering with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to hold a Booster Vaccination Clinic for the campus and broader communities at Embarcadero Hall in Isla Vista. The clinic will be in operation January 11, 13, 18 and 25 from 9 am - 5 pm, by appointment available through the MyTurn system.
Booster doses also are widely available at pharmacies and medical clinics.
- The CDC now defines "fully vaccinated" as a person who has received a booster vaccination for COVID-19.
- The CDC recommends a booster beginning five months after completing the original vaccination series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, six months after the Moderna vaccine, and two months after the J&J/Janssen vaccine. These timelines define "booster eligibility".
- At least 84 percent of the campus community is already eligible for a booster and will be tracked for compliance with California's state reporting system. We will continue to track eligibility for our campus population.
- Influenza vaccinations also are required, unless you attest that you have read the educational information and decline, AND agree to mask through the end of flu season.
Masking
It is important to acknowledge that during the Fall Quarter, vaccination combined with indoor masking was exceptionally effective at mitigating campus transmission. There were no cases of any variant of COVID-19 associated with any regular classroom activities. Thus, it is essential that we continue with our very high level of compliance in the use of high-quality masks when indoors.
- The campus will continue to provide high-quality masks to all students, faculty, and staff.
- The campus mask mandate does not distinguish "shared" or "public" spaces from other locations. All indoor spaces on campus, including research spaces, are subject to the masking requirement, with the exception of individual residences in campus housing, dining halls while eating, or individual offices with one person with the door closed.
- Researchers in shared spaces should continue to wear masks and space themselves when feasible.
- Everyone is encouraged to wear a mask outdoors in crowded settings when on campus.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
General questions can be directed to the UCSB COVID-19 Call Center by email at ucsb-covid19@ucsb.edu, or by phone at (805) 893-3113 on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.