The following message was sent to all UCOP staff on June 27, 2023:

Dear UCOP colleagues,

I am writing with an update on UCOP’s COVID-19 screening and testing protocols.

Last month marked the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency. This was encouraging news and a testament to the measures put in place to control the spread of the virus. We are proud UCOP has maintained an effective COVID-19 response program that has resulted in zero internal, on-site spread of COVID-19. Given this and guidance from public health officials, we are changing the following COVID-19 protocols for all UCOP locations, effective June 27, 2023:

• UCOP Screen and UCDC Screen surveys still required, but streamlined: We are shortening our symptom screening survey (UCOP Screen or UCDC Screen) for employees, contractors, and visitors to focus on any symptoms of illness that are not attributable to another known condition. Please remain vigilant and monitor yourself for symptoms before coming to work and stay home when you are ill (whether it is cold, flu or COVID). As always, please consult with your manager if you are ill and cannot work on-site.
• Regular COVID-19 testing for employees and contractors will be optional: We are discontinuing mandatory COVID-19 testing, and testing will be optional going forward, which allows for greater flexibility for those who work on-site. If you would like, you can continue to test and request UCOP-supplied test kits. We strongly encourage you to keep a small test kit supply at home and test if you have symptoms or were exposed to someone with a confirmed positive case. This will continue to help us identify COVID-19 cases before coming on-site.
• Daily testing required for large events/meetings with 20 or more people: Testing will still be required for events/meetings anticipated to have 20 or more attendees (including support staff). Attendees will continue to test on the first day of the event/meeting and each day thereafter. This will help ensure everyone attending is free of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of transmission.
• Required reporting continues: Employees, contractors, and visitors are still required to report an exposure or confirmed positive case to the UCOP Incident Report Team. As a reminder, positive case reports are tracked and can be found on the COVID-19 positive case reporting dashboard.
• Pre-approvals no longer required for large events/meetings: UCOP-sponsored events with more than 20 people or held in the Oakland Broadway Conference Center no longer require prior approval to be scheduled. Please refer to the Temporary UCOP-sponsored event and meeting COVID-19 protocols for pre-entry requirements for attendees for meetings/events with 20 or more people.

Supplies, including masks, hand sanitizer and wipes, will still be available at all locations. As a reminder, one-way masking using an N95, KN95, or approved surgical mask provides protection for you even when others are not masked. Also, if you’d like people to wear masks when they visit or meet with you, you may post this mask request poster outside your workspace.

Everyone’s health and well-being remain our highest priority. Should guidance change or UCOP case numbers rise, we will reassess and adjust our protocols if necessary. If you have questions, please email UCOP-COVID19-Response@ucop.edu.

As always, thank you for your partnership, and please continue to take care of yourself.

Sincerely,
Thera Kalmijn
Executive Director, UCOP Operations

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