Dear Campus Community,
The health and safety of everyone at UC Merced is always our foremost concern, and we continue to monitor information about COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.
As of today, no one in Merced County nor at the UC Merced campus has tested positive for COVID-19. To date, there has been no need to adjust operations at UC Merced, but we will continue to reassess as news develops both here and across the globe.
Our campus Emergency Management workgroup has been meeting and working with Merced County health authorities and colleagues within the University of California system to ensure we are taking all appropriate steps to protect our community.
As we continue to monitor the situation, we are also working on plans related to the continuity of research, academics and operations. Our colleagues across campus will be communicating important information about those plans to faculty, staff and students over the coming days and weeks. Please take the time to read all these communications, and ask questions if you have them.
If you are experiencing fever, cough, and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, please stay home, and call your healthcare provider to make an appointment. Students can call the Student Health Center at 209-228-2273. It is important to always call before arriving for your appointment.
If you plan to travel, please stay up to date on the university’s latest travel advisories, which currently recommend avoiding nonessential travel to China, Italy, Iran, Japan and South Korea. Please be sure to provide family and friends with your itinerary and contact information, as travel restrictions and flight schedules can change rapidly.
And while it is understandable to feel concern about COVID-19, it is critical to ensure you are receiving information from credible sources. Here are some resources you may find helpful:
- UC Merced COVID-19 Information
- UC Merced Student Health Center
- Merced County Department of Public Health
- CDC Information
We have posted a link to this information and FAQs at the top of our website , along with a button allowing you to direct questions to campus health and safety officials.
We will do all we must to keep our community safe, and we will make any and all decisions based upon the best, most updated and most credible data and with the advice of our public health authorities.
As always, our greatest resource is our own interconnected community. During global events like this, we have the opportunity to enlarge our capacity and empathy as a campus and to model our ideals and commitment to each other. We can embody our Principles of Community through how we respond in protecting ourselves and our communities — with inclusion, not fear.
Sincerely,
Nathan Brostrom
Interim Chancellor
Gregg Camfield
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
