Throughout fall quarter, interim Vice Chancellor for Research John MacMillan and Student Health Center Medical Director Elizabeth Miller are providing regular updates about efforts to support the campus community’s health and well-being.
Dear Campus Community,
We’re continuing to see a decline in COVID-19 cases, both in our campus community and in Santa Cruz County.
From Oct. 18 to 24, the campus ran more than 1,800 tests and only had two positive cases, both of which were from off-campus students. The campus positivity rate is .07 percent.
We appreciate everyone’s hard work in supporting the health and well-being of our campus community. As we head into winter, it’s critical that our community get vaccinated against the flu. We have clinics on campus for students, and employees can get vaccinated through their health care provider.
Summary of Updates
- Status update on campus and in Santa Cruz County
- Be sure to get your flu vaccine
Status Update
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- Small number of positive COVID-19 tests among students: As mentioned above, we recorded only two positive cases among students.
- High vaccination rate in our campus community: As of today, 97 percent of UC Santa Cruz students and 98 percent of employees have complied with our COVID vaccine policy.
- Slug Strong dashboard offers regular updates: Our COVID-19 dashboard is updated regularly and provides a breakdown of COVID-19 cases.
- Santa Cruz County dashboard shows decline in new cases: The county currently has 323 active cases, which is a 23 percent decline over the past 14 days.
- Mask up! Though Santa Cruz County no longer has a mask mandate, UC Santa Cruz continues to require face coverings in most indoor situations.
Be sure to get your flu vaccine
The University of California is again requiring all covered students, faculty, other academic appointees and staff to get vaccinated against influenza by Nov. 19, 2021 or opt out using a form supplied by their location after receiving information about flu vaccine.
Students can get flu shots Oct. 27-28 at the Hay Barn. Registration is available via Health E-Messenger. The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency as well as other off-campus locations, including Safeway, Rite-Aid, and CVS Pharmacy, are also offering the flu vaccine.
The campus will be holding a flu shot clinic on Nov. 8 for staff and faculty. Registration is required by 9 a.m. Nov. 5.
Employees should contact their healthcare provider to find out how to get a flu vaccine. Instructions for employees to report their flu vaccine are online.
