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Dear USD Campus Community:
We continue to closely monitor COVID-19 positivity rates reported by San Diego County and on our campus. While we are experiencing minor surges in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks on our campus, these infections represent a weekly positivity rate average of less than 1 percent. We ask that you continue to be vigilant and get tested if you are experiencing upper-respiratory issues. The San Diego County free COVID-19 testing site at the west end of our campus remains open.
We will continue to require face coverings in classrooms, labs and libraries for the remainder of the spring semester as we prepare for finals and our commencement ceremonies. We will remove the face covering requirement in classrooms, labs and libraries for summer academic sessions, and we plan to extend this approach to the fall semester. Faculty will have the option to require face coverings in their classrooms and labs during the summer and fall sessions.
As we continue to monitor State of California guidance and San Diego County orders related to COVID-19 health and safety, we expect that these measures will continue to evolve as we learn more about the disease and how best to reduce infections.
Based on our experience over the past two years, we know that our health and safety precautions will need to flex with the changing environment. USD remains subject to both State and County requirements that may affect the campus community.
Our current approach to health and safety measures for the summer and fall includes:
- The university will require the COVID-19 vaccination and booster for the campus community. This includes incoming students for summer school. Waivers for medical and religious reasons may be submitted.
- Face coverings continue to be required at the Manchester Family Child Development Center until vaccines are available for children under 5 years old.
- Those 50 years old and older will be strongly encouraged to receive a second booster.
- The university will continue to support and encourage campus community members to wear face coverings when individuals feel the need to do so.
- Faculty may require face coverings to be worn during their summer and fall classes.
- The campus ventilation system that was upgraded to MERV-13 filtration or better during the pandemic will be serviced prior to fall semester classes.
- We will maintain close contact with the county of San Diego to track hospitalizations rates.
- The campus will continue to monitor county sewage testing for COVID-19 to identify when increases in cases are mounting in San Diego.
- The Student Health Center will continue to provide care for symptomatic students and conduct COVID-19 testing.
- All members of the USD community will continue to be required to report to the Student Health Center or Human Resources if they test positive for COVID-19.
In the event we experience a significant resurgence of COVID-19 infections in San Diego County or on our campus, we may choose to implement the following health and safety measures:
- Require face coverings in classes, labs and libraries.
- Contact tracing expansion
- Require face coverings on campus at all times.
- Resume surveillance testing
- Cancel indoor rentals of non-university events.
While we hope that we are not put in a position to have to reinstate these more stringent measures, we are prepared to do what it takes to create a safer and healthier environment for our campus community over the coming months. We will continue to provide updates through our COVID-19 dashboard on the Onward USD website.
The COVID-19 Action Team
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