Dear Students,

Welcome to spring quarter! We hope you were all able to enjoy some downtime last week over Spring Break and are feeling refreshed and ready to finish out the school year on a high note. We wanted to be in touch about a few safety measures as we begin spring quarter in the hopes that we will continue Santa Barbara County’s current downward trend in COVID-19 case rates.

First, if you left Santa Barbara for spring break and have returned, we urge you to get tested for COVID-19 and to self-isolate for 10 days. You can sign up for a free COVID-19 test, regardless of your insurance plan, by going to the Student Health Portal. Current California health advisories state that if you have traveled more than 120 miles from your residence and particularly if you left the state, you should self-isolate for 10 days upon your return to the area even if you have been vaccinated. If you have traveled, please carefully consider your behavior in order to protect the health of your friends, classmates, and other community members. Although numbers in Santa Barbara County are on the decline, risky behaviors following travel could lead to another spike in COVID-19 cases such as we saw after winter break. If you have any questions, please e-mail UCSB-COVID19@ucsb.edu.

Second, some of you know that for some years now an event known as Deltopia has taken place during one of the first weekends of spring quarter. This event is not sanctioned by UCSB, Santa Barbara County, or the Isla Vista Community Services District, and has, in the past, led to a large number of injuries and arrests, as well as destruction to our local beaches and property. This year it is more important than ever that Deltopia not take place. We know that large gatherings are one of the easiest ways to spread COVID-19. When alcohol is present this risk is elevated, as people are increasingly likely to speak loudly and be in close proximity to one another. Although Santa Barbara County recently moved into the Red Tier, current public health guidelines still mandate that gatherings be limited to members of no more than 3 households and that all participants be masked and maintain physical distance. This includes gathering in public places and on the streets. Again, we have made so much progress with regards to COVID-19 case counts lately. Please do not undo the progress we have collectively made as a community by disregarding these guidelines and regulations. 

As a reminder, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office continues to issue fines for party hosts under county ordinance 51-4. The first offense is a $100 fine, second offense is $200, and third and all subsequent offenses will incur a $500 fine. Anyone interpreted as hosting a party may be fined. Additionally, repeated or egregious reports to the University regarding gatherings that do not follow COVID guidelines may result in either individual or organizational conduct charges. If you would like to make a report, please do so using the Campus Reporting Form. Please note: for an immediate response to an in-progress situation, please first call Isla Vista Foot Patrol (805-681-4179) and then report to UCSB.
UCSB COVID Violation Reporting Form
UCSB COVID Violation Response Dashboard
In addition to the standard COVID-19 precautions, the Santa Barbara County Outdoor Festival Ordinance will be in place and Isla Vista beaches will be closed for the weekends of April 2-4 and 9-11, 2021. This ordinance states that recorded or live music provided by professional or amateur musicians is prohibited in Isla Vista between the hours of 6:00 PM and 7:00 AM during the days that the ordinance is in place. Violations of this ordinance may result in fines up to $500.

Special Events

All that said, we know it has been a long year with few opportunities for celebration and few to no gatherings. We encourage you to participate in one of the following events taking place this weekend:
We are so grateful to those of you who have been diligently following COVID best practices for over a year now. If you have become less vigilant, we urge you to rededicate yourself to wearing a mask, avoiding large gatherings, and physical distancing. With the arrival of the vaccines, the end of this long pandemic is in sight, but we cannot let our guard down in the meantime. 

We wish you all the best for a safe, healthy, and successful spring quarter,

Margaret Klawunn
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs 

Katya Armistead
Assistant Vice Chancellor & Dean of Student Life
UC Santa Barbara | Division of Student Affairs
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