July 24, 2020
Re: Do Your Part: Daily Health Check
To: All campus
July 24, 2020
Dear Campus Community,
One of the major defenses our campus and community have against the spread of COVID-19 is you. Do your part: Check yourself daily for new symptoms and stay home if you have them.
On a daily basis, and before coming to the campus, all individuals designated to be physically present on campus must conduct a symptom survey. At this time, identified COVID-19 symptoms include one or more of the following:
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fever (100.4° F)
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Runny nose or new sinus congestion
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• New GI symptoms
• New loss of taste or smell.
If you are university faculty, staff or student and have any symptoms, are on mandatory quarantine or have tested COVID-19 positive: stay home.
If you are faculty or staff, report yourself unable to perform duties on campus to your supervisor and contact the COVID Response Center for directions on the next steps at either (209) 228-0000 or COVIDResponseCtr@ucmerced.edu
If you are a student, even if you are also an employee of the university, please contact Student Health Services at (209) 228-2273 to report illness or symptoms. You will also be receiving more detailed emails next week about UC Merced’s expectations for students.
Additionally, if you were exposed (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes or share bathroom and/or kitchen) to someone who tested COVID-19 positive within the last 14 days, or you have been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive within the last 10 days, stay home and contact the COVID Response Center at COVIDResponseCtr@ucmerced.edu or (209) 228-0000.
We have been piloting the Health Check App as one way to report symptoms, for early groups of researchers in designated buildings. The Health Check App will be rolled out to all faculty and staff in the near future. Instructions on how to download and use the app will be provided accordingly. For those who have not been invited to the app and are designated to work on campus, or on behalf of the university, please continue to monitor your symptoms prior to coming in each day and follow the instructions above if symptoms develop.
Coming to campus
University policy allows only those who are designated employees — those engaged in essential activities and certain research personnel — to work in campus facilities. There is to be no use of office, classroom, lab or other space on campus by non-designated employees or by students. Those who desire brief, one-time access to retrieve items from campus can request access here .
Policy prohibits employees from congregating at any university property, indoors or outdoors, unless attending a university-sponsored event such as a class, and then only by using face coverings and observing physical distancing protocols .
As we announced in March: All “non-designated” UC Merced employees will work remotely 100% of the time . Faculty and staff who have not been designated are not authorized to be in university facilities for any reason — and must also refrain from congregating in person anywhere for university business. Supervisors will not require or approve such gatherings, and no university funds will be used to support such gatherings.
All meetings or other gatherings for business purposes that include non-designated employees must be conducted by remote means, such as Zoom or telephone.
Except pursuant to the research ramp-up protocols , no employees can be designated to work in campus facilities without the express permission of their respective vice chancellor.
Please remember to do your part: Stay home if you are not a designated employee, or if you are designated but have symptoms.
You can access all university communications, resources and links at our Campus Ready site.
Stay healthy,
Andrew Boyd
Chief Resilience Officer
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This is an important message from UC Merced. Please share with colleagues who may not have ready access to email. If you require a Spanish translation, please email pr@ucmerced.edu .
