Masking indoors and testing biweekly no longer required, other changes made to Campus Ready requirements for students
By JADE BELL and SONORA SLATER – campus@theaggie.org
Students have returned to the UC Davis campus for fall quarter with many COVID-19 mandates lifted, such as wearing masks indoors and biweekly asymptomatic testing, according to the latest Campus Ready update.
Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) explained the process of altering protocol in order to maintain the health and safety of returning students.
“We are excited to welcome students back to campus this fall,” SHCS said via email. “We continue to work closely with our county public health department, including consistent implementation of their COVID-related recommendations.”
The Division of Student Affairs sent out an email to students on Sept. 16 detailing the COVID guidance for fall quarter.
The Daily Symptom Survey will no longer be required for students to enter university facilities, and, while recommended, masks are no longer required indoors except at the COVID-19 testing kiosk on campus and in on-campus settings where healthcare services are provided, according to the email.
Students who have no COVID-19 vaccination information reported in Health-e-Messaging or have not submitted a medical, temporary deferral or religious exception request by Sept. 21 will have a temporary registration hold on their account, prohibiting them from making class schedule changes or editing their grade options.
UC Davis is currently not enforcing any requirement for staff and students to get the new bivalent vaccine booster, according to the email; however, this may change in the future when the booster gains widespread availability.
While regular testing is no longer required, students are required to get tested for COVID-19 once between Sept. 9 and Oct. 7, according to the email, or within a week of arrival to campus if arriving after Oct. 7. This can be done by making an appointment for on-campus saliva testing via Health-e-Messaging or by using an at-home antigen test and reporting the results in Health-e-Messaging.
Audrey Pangemanan, a fourth-year psychology major, said that she is excited to be able to participate fully in in-person events and classes this year with restrictions lifted.
“I’m most excited about being back in person with my clubs,” she said via Instagram Direct Message (DM). “[Like] my co-ed Professional Community Service Fraternity: Alpha Phi Omega. Especially since it’s [fall quarter] — new people, new experiences.”
However, Pangemanan also shared some concerns.
“Being back at school with no COVID restrictions makes me feel pretty wary,” Pangemanan said. “I still wear my mask from time to time but now that symptom surveys aren’t being checked anymore and bi-weekly COVID testing isn’t required to enter facilities, I feel less protected on campus.”
Despite the lifted restrictions, SHCS said that student health remains a high priority.
“The health and well-being of our students and our campus community [are] of the utmost importance to UC Davis,” SHCS said via email. “The public health division of [SHCS], formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is working to proactively prepare for public health crises on our campus, in close collaboration with our Yolo County public health officials and campus partners.”
Written by: Jade Bell and Sonora Slater — campus@theaggie.org
