Thank you, Aggies, for all of your diligence and care for community as we start the winter quarter largely in remote operations. We know that information is changing quickly in these times, and that confusions can arise easily. Here are some answers to common questions about winter quarter that we hope you find helpful.

• Are we in lockdown/sheltering in place?
• No. The state and county have not declared a mandatory shelter in place. Our campus is open, and, with a negative COVID-19 test, students and employees can access such facilities as Shields Library, the ARC and Rec Pool, the Memorial Union, Student Health and Counseling Services, dining commons and the bookstore. Research and patient care activities are taking place as usual. Some non-lecture laboratory classes and other experiential classes are being held in person with COVID-19 protocols in place. Unitrans is running but on a reduced schedule, and local restaurants and activities are available.
   

  • Shields Library is open with limited hours. The 24-Hour Study Room is open. Check the library’s website for the latest information. Carlson Health Sciences Library is closed through Jan. 30.

  • The Activities and Recreation Center and Rec Pool are open to students, staff and faculty.

  • Residence halls and dining commons are in operation for students living on campus, with additional mitigation efforts inside of facilities. People without the required Daily Symptom Survey green status will be denied entry to the dining commons.

  • Student Health and Counseling Services is available to students for medical care and mental health support at the Student Health and Wellness Center. The center allows entrance to students for care without proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. Counseling Services scheduled at other locations are being provided virtually.

  • The first floor of the Memorial Union is open — and that includes the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center.

  • Unitrans is operating on a reduced schedule. Please check the transit system’s website for the latest information.

  • The Campus Store is open with reduced capacity, allowing up to 100 customers into the store at a time. Please note that wait times may be longer than usual, depending on the time and day of visit.

• Why do we need to stay in Davis?
• It’s important that you stay in the Davis area if you’re already here so we can stabilize our community and reduce the risk of introducing new COVID-19 cases. We have the right tools and resources here in Davis to test and monitor incoming cases. We need your cooperation so that we can have some in-person instruction now, as well as return to in-person instruction as soon as possible for all classes. Additionally, as announced in an email on Jan. 9, some non-lecture classes are meeting in person through Jan. 28.
• When do we “isolate” and when do we “quarantine”?
• Testing positive results in “isolation.” Being exposed to someone who tested positive results in “quarantine.”
  
  More information is available on Campus Ready’s Quarantine and Isolation page.
• Is isolation and quarantine housing (I/Q housing) available?
• Please note that we are NOT out of isolation beds. UC Davis has nearly 250 beds dedicated for use as isolation space at no cost to students. In an effort to preserve isolation and housing for students in dorms and high-risk spaces, Student Housing and Dining Services is offering isolation housing only to students who live in the residence halls and other congregate housing on campus.
  
  Students living at The Green at West Village or off campus are receiving instructions via email on how to isolate or quarantine at their residences. For students who live off campus, are COVID-19-negative and have special circumstances that make isolation from a roommate difficult, temporary quarantine housing solutions are available through the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center: 530-752-9254 or compass@ucdavis.edu.
  
  More information is available on Campus Ready’s Quarantine and Isolation page.
• I tested positive for COVID-19. What happens next?
• If you tested positive from a campus COVID-19 test, you should receive an email including isolation instructions and information for seeking care and how to identify and inform close contacts. Please follow all isolation and testing guidelines provided to you by Student Health and Counseling Services, Campus Ready and/or public health.
• How do I isolate?
• Isolation means staying in your room as much as possible, avoiding in-person interactions with others and leaving only for essential business such as going to a doctor’s office, getting food or using the restroom. If you have a meal plan, you can contact your CA/RD to get sick tray forms so your friend/roommate can pick up food for you at the dining commons.
  
  If you share an apartment with others, it is recommended that you wear your face coverings when leaving your room and disinfect common spaces after each use.
  
  There may be some situations where isolation is extremely difficult. In those scenarios, students who live in the residence halls may be moved into housing dedicated for isolation. For students living at The Green or in off-campus housing, you can contact Aggie Compass for temporary housing support, including potential quarantine housing for roommates. Aggie Compass: 530-752-9254 or compass@ucdavis.edu.
  
  More information is available on Campus Ready’s Quarantine and Isolation page.
• What do I do if my roommate tests positive?
• Your roommate should receive an email including isolation instructions and information for seeking care and how to identify and inform close contacts. Depending on their situation, they may be moved to an isolation space, asked to self-isolate in their current living space or asked to monitor their health.
  
  Depending on your living situation, you or your roommate may not be eligible for isolation housing, so it’s important to communicate with each other and have a plan for how you can use shared living spaces, wear masks at all times and disinfect communal spaces if someone is positive in your household.
  
  Please be kind and support each other through this time. It can be stressful, and you can support your roommates by working together and helping to pick up food or medicines.
  
  More information is available on the Campus Ready's Quarantine and Isolation page.
• Why are we able to have some non-lecture classes in person but not others?
• We continue to have operational concerns that limit our ability to support lecture courses. However, we are allowing some smaller, non-lecture classes to meet in person (at the discretion of the instructor) whenever their departments believe they have the staffing to do so. In addition, we feel confident in our COVID-19 mitigation strategies to effectively manage the smaller class sizes. Those mitigations will continue with the verification of the Daily Symptom Survey and ensuring that all attendees are compliant with vaccine and testing requirements. Because of staffing, operational and resource impacts caused by the omicron surge, we do not have this same mechanism globally for all classes, especially for larger lecture classes.
• Who can I talk to if I need help?
• Students who have questions about COVID-19-related policies, public health guidance or general concerns can contact the Aggie Info and Help Line. Call 530-732-4636 (INFO) or submit this form. A service of the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, this information line is staffed by Aggie Public Health Ambassadors to provide support for noncrisis questions and referrals to campus resources.
  
  Student Health and Counseling Services can provide information about COVID-19 testing for students through the Health-e-Messaging portal.
  
  To speak with an SHCS Advice Nurse, call 530-752-2349. This line is open 24 hours.
• What resources do I have access to if I need accommodations for my situation?
• We’re also here to support students who are immunocompromised or otherwise concerned about how the omicron surge and remote instruction will affect them. The Student Disability Center is the campus unit designated to receive requests for accommodations, approve services and coordinate support for students who have medical reasons affecting their ability to be present on campus. Students should contact the Student Disability Center to discuss possible accommodations and options, or if you are uncertain if your medical situation qualifies you for disability assistance. Getting this process started early is important to getting you the support you need. Contact the center by submitting a request online; calling 530-752-3184 during business hours Monday through Friday; or sending an e-mail.
• What’s the importance of checking your Health-e-Messaging email? Where will I be notified if I have a positive COVID-19 test result?
• Employees and students who test positive for COVID-19 through UC Davis testing facilities will receive a message inside Health-e-Messaging with instructions on isolation and how to report your case. If you are in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, you will NOT be personally notified by the UC Davis contact tracing team. The diagnosed employee or student will have been advised to notify close contacts. This follows public health guidance from Yolo County and the state of California.
  
  Read more about contact tracing scenarios and communications.
• I got my test. I’m done now, right?
• You should keep testing regularly (at least every 14 days if you are fully vaccinated and every four days if you are not fully vaccinated) and anytime you feel like you were exposed. Getting vaccinated is the most important tool. (Need a booster shot? See the last question in this Q&A for information on a clinic scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 18 and 19.) Participating regularly in our testing program is also an important tool in reducing infections and helping us make decisions that impact the health and safety of our community. Get tested regularly!
• Why is it recommended to get my test at UC Davis rather than at home? Why does it really matter?
• Only negative PCR test results (saliva, nasal swab or nasopharyngeal swab) for COVID-19 from UC Davis or other medical providers are accepted, so we can ensure accuracy. Negative antigen tests, including at-home tests, cannot be accepted for campus screening purposes. We recommend sticking with UC Davis testing since it is easy, free and you are already in the system, meaning your test results are entered automatically. If you are a student or employee who receives a PCR test from another medical provider, and you test negative, you must upload that result from your third-party PCR testing into Health-e-Messaging.
  
  To upload a PCR test result, log in to Health-e-Messaging, select “Medical Clearances” and then “COVID-19 Vaccine and Test.” Enter your test date and result and upload an image that shows proof of your appointment or test result. Employees and students are required to follow protocol to report all positive-COVID-19 tests to campus.
  
  Read more about testing in this Winter Quarter Guidance Update.
• Will N95 or KN95 masks be made available to me if I have to come in for a laboratory or performance class?
• Yes. We are providing one N95 or KN95 for each student and instructor who will attend classes or laboratories in person between now and Jan. 28. We have sufficient supply to support one mask per student and employee — and we are asking everyone who receives one to retain and reuse their mask for the duration of the present surge. Students will receive their mask from one of their in-person instructors.
  
  More information is available on Campus Ready’s Face Coverings and Masks page.
• Is the campus hosting any booster shot clinics?
• Yes. The campus worked with Yolo County Public Health to organize a two-day booster shot clinic, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 18 and 19, for anyone eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster. You should make an appointment through the state’s My Turn website. After entering “95616” as your zip code, look for two clinics labeled “Drive-Thru UC Davis 1/18” and two clinics labeled “Drive-Thru UC Davis 1/19” and choose the one that aligns with your preferred date and preferred vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). The clinic location is Parking Lot 1 behind the Gateway Parking Structure off Old Davis Road. (The My Turn website gives “611 Hilgard Lane” as the address.) Please note that both days of this clinic are open to the entire Davis community and there is limited supply, so we encourage you to make your appointments as soon as possible. We also continue to encourage employees to get their booster shots through their health care providers, whenever possible, so students are able to access appointments at the on-campus clinic.
  
  More information is available on Campus Ready’s Vaccine Program page.