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May 11, 2023

The 'New Normal'

Today, the federal government's COVID-19 public health emergency ends. The acute phase of the pandemic is fading and, while the virus continues to evolve, case rates are lower than they have been in years. As a result, UC San Diego will now be adopting current COVID-19 regulations as outlined by Cal/OSHA and embrace more personal responsibility for our individual health and well-being. Read more about the end of the Return to Learn program in the latest campus notice.

What's Changing?

  • Starting today, operational needs related to the new normal will be led by Environment Health & Safety (EH&S).
  • The Return to Learn website will no longer be live and will begin redirecting to the EH&S COVID-19 webpage.
  • The daily symptom screener will no longer be required for students or employees who are coming to campus. However, you must complete the symptom screener if you are not feeling well, have been exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Symptomatic testing will no longer be required for students and employees, but it is strongly recommended. It is recommended that you test 3 to 5 days after an exposure to COVID-19 or if you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Please visit the EH&S COVID-19 webpage for more information about how to report your results and what to do if you have been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Masking in non-health care settings is optional. Masking remains required in UC San Diego Health clinical settings during face-to-face direct patient care (ambulatory and acute care settings) and when an individual requests masking. Patient and visitor masking is optional EXCEPT for infection prevention precautions (e.g., have or are suspected to have an infectious respiratory pathogen such as tuberculosis, measles, influenza, COVID-19, RSV). Patients may be advised to wear a mask by their medical team if they are immunocompromised or during periods of reduced immunity. Visitors are asked to wear a mask if a patient requests masking. More details about green tier guidelines for UC San Diego Health employees can be found on Pulse. Patients and visitors can find more information on the UC San Diego Health Visitor Information webpage.
What's Staying the Same?
  • The UC Vaccination policy currently applies.
  • UC San Diego wastewater testing will continue until further notice.
  • The UC San Diego COVID-19 Daily Dashboard will remain active until further notice.
  • The Required Notification of Potential Exposure Building Locations will be distributed once monthly to campus and daily to supervisors and employees in affected worksites.
  • Rapid antigen tests will still be available to campus community members via campus vending machines.
  • Masks will be made available via the campus vending machines in advance of the new academic year. In the meantime, EH&S is able to provide masks upon request.

Our Last Issue

This is the 110th issue of the Return to Learn Updates newsletter, and it will be our last. After two and a half years of reporting key campus operational updates, news about COVID-19 will now be communicated via campus notice and/or through the campus newsletter, UC San Diego Today. Should you have any questions, please contact QHC-EOC@ucsd.edu
It is an understatement to say that this pandemic has changed all our lives. It is with sincere gratitude that we thank our experts at UC San Diego Health for leading strategic decisions that helped keep our campus safe, as well as recognize the many ways that our students, staff, faculty and community partners demonstrated a caring commitment to one another. The compassionate camaraderie, endless resilience and infallible hope that all Tritons have embodied during this incredibly difficult time is truly amazing. 
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