February 17, 2022

Although California’s public indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people ended yesterday, UC San Diego will continue to require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to mask indoors at the university. Our more cautious campus safety protocols are in line with other school systems and universities across the country. They are guided by an array of national, state, local and campus data that are analyzed by UC San Diego’s experts in epidemiology, medicine, predictive modeling and public health. Just like you, we look forward to a time when personal interactions will be less encumbered. Until then, we will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions and communicate updates to campus safety guidelines promptly. See masking guidelines.

Thank you, Tritons, for completing the symptom and exposure screening each day you are on campus. As a reminder, there are distinct links to visit the student screener and the employee screener. Choosing the corresponding link will ensure that your colored thumb result is accurately identified. As a reminder, all students (including student employees and teaching assistants) should only use the student screener, not the employee screener. Please bookmark these links as needed or find them on the Return to Learn homepage.

Students and campus employees may pick up a free KN95 mask on campus. Locations include: 

Price Center East, Level 2, top of Triton Steps, East Ballroom Lobby

The Trove, corner of Library Walk, adjacent to Geisel Library

Students may also visit the Basic Needs Hub to get a mask at the following times:

For departments or labs seeking to purchase larger quantities of masks for their employees on an urgent basis, orders can be placed through Oracle Procurement via Single Sign On. Please note, we are working on developing a system for departments to order free mask supplies, which should become available soon. Visit Ordering COVID-19 PPE on Blink for a list of available items and the latest updates. 

Answer: Yes, appointments for Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine boosters are available for all students and campus and health employees.

We encourage all employees and students to get vaccinated as quickly as possible in order to protect the health and well-being of our campus community and our regional population.

Please visit the Vaccination Information webpage to determine booster eligibility and schedule an appointment.

Answer: Students and employees who choose not to be fully vaccinated and have no approved exception, accommodation or deferral potentially put the health of others at risk and may face disciplinary actions, including referral to the Office of Student Conduct, housing action or enrollment holds. Please visit the COVID-19 Vaccination Compliance webpage for more information.  

Answer: With proper care, a KN95 should be reusable for an extended period of time. To preserve their effectiveness, KN95 masks should be stored in a dry, safe location that's out of direct sunlight, such as a paper bag.

Replace your KN95 mask when it:

To learn more, visit the Return to Learn Questions & Answers page.

If you have specific questions or would like to submit feedback about the Return to Learn program, please email rtl@ucsd.edu.