October 6, 2021

Today's COVID-19 snapshots

Employee cases

[1] Laboratory confirmed positive cases.
[2] Numbers adjusted downward by 3 cases after August 2021 audit.

Student cases

[1] Laboratory confirmed positive cases.
[2] Laboratory confirmed positive cases who are being kept away from others until deemed no longer a risk of spreading the disease.
[3] Students with known exposure to a positive case and/or those showing symptoms but not yet confirmed via laboratory results who are separated from others and restricted in their movements.
[4] Off-campus students accessing a campus for in-person classes.

New at the U of R

Vaccination rates at the U of R now range from 89.1 to 100% across different groups. Go Bulldogs!

Vaccination status

[1] Staff and full-time faculty, excluding adjuncts, at all campuses.
[2] Almost entirely in-person.
[3] Student numbers include only those who participate in on-campus classes; the vaccination status of online students is not tracked. The School of Continuing Studies is currently holding most classes online.
[4] Includes all active students, regardless of participation in on-campus or online classes, and may include students not participating in courses who are in process of having their degrees signed off.

Reminder of the week 

All university community members are required to wear face coverings in indoor spaces on U of R campuses, including classrooms, covering their mouths and noses, except when eating or drinking. Thank you to all the community members who have complied with this requirement! Sometimes, individuals do need reminders, so please feel free to remind each other gently as needed.

In the case you are met with lack of compliance with COVID-19 safety procedures, or a general safety concern, please connect with Public Safety by calling 909-748-8888 or ext. 8888 on campus phones. You may also use BULLDOG TIPS, a safety alert system, to send an anonymous tip via text message; text TIP UOFR to 888777.

News you can use

San Bernardino County has posted a web page, “Additional Dose and Boosters.” In addition to initial COVID-19 shots, County vaccination clinics—including those to be held on the main Redlands campus (Orton Center) on Tues., Oct. 12 and Thurs., Nov. 11—will offer boosters. Flu shots will also be offered at the clinics, and walk-ins are welcome.

As County states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that people whose immune systems are moderately to severely compromised should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses; the CDC also recommends a booster dose for certain groups of people—those 65 years and older and at high risk—at least six months after receiving the primary series to help increase their protection against COVID-19. At vaccination clinics run by San Bernardino County, no proof of eligibility is required outside of self-attestation, i.e. stating in writing that you meet the qualifications to receive an additional dose.

Recommended read

The Scientist’s Amanda Heidt writes, “How Wildfire Smoke Raises Infectious Disease Risk”: As fires continue to pose a risk in the West, scientists are beginning to understand more about how their smoke affects the transmission and severity of COVID-19 and other illnesses, and how it differs from that of other types of air pollution.

Do you have an article to recommend to others or suggestions for this newsletter? Email urreadybrief@redlands.edu.

Additional information on the University’s COVID-19 response—including FAQs, videos, dashboards, and past messages—is available at Redlands.edu/URready.