February 17, 2021

Today's COVID-19 snapshot

Employee cases

[1] Laboratory confirmed positive cases.

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 living within the vicinity of the City of Redlands proper and who choose to report (they are not required to do so unless they have been on campus). To provide a sense of scope, 288 students informed the University that they would be living off-site, local to the Redlands campus.

County status
San Bernardino County: Tier 1/purple (widespread); 11.89% testing positivity rate
Marin County: Tier 1/purple (widespread); 2.4% testing positivity rate

New at the U of R  

• The University will be hosting a vaccination clinic on the main Redlands campus in Orton Hall, in partnership with Redlands Community Hospital and other organizations across the city of Redlands (see the Feb. 11 announcement in English and Spanish). Once appointments are open, University faculty, staff, and administrators will receive a code so they can make an appointment under Phase 1B of the State’s vaccination plan. Details will be forthcoming; please be patient while the logistics of the new clinic are worked out.
• U of R’s School of Business, School of Education, Graduate School of Theology, and School of Continuing Studies will offer classes online in summer 2021.

News you can use 

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends tightly fitting face coverings with “two or more layers,” based on recent research that suggests that this procedure reduces exposure to potentially infectious aerosols by 95%. One way this well-fitting double layer can be achieved is by wearing a cloth face covering over a surgical mask. Read more from the CBS News report, “CDC recommends double masks to help protect against COVID-19.”

Reminder of the week 

To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, remember to physically distance, keeping at least 6 feet of space between you and other people whenever possible.

https://youtu.be/Mt-Yr7o17wM

Last week, we reminded you that to use the COVID-19 reporting form if you have COVID symptoms, exposure, or positive test results—note you should report a positive COVID test within 24 hours.

Recommended read 

National Public Radio’s All Things Considered reporter Michaeleen Doucleff notes that people who are immunocompromised and have long-term coronavirus infections might offer the virus “a mutational testing ground” that results in new strains of the virus. Read more at “Extraordinary Patient Offers Surprising Clues to Origins of Coronavirus Variants.” 

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, and past messages—is available at Redlands.edu/URready.