A: Students, staff and faculty are not required to test, but testing is encouraged following travel or exposure to someone else who has tested positive.

For students who test positive:

• Students who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate immediately and call the ASHE COVID-19 Hotline at 310-206-6217 or email exposuremanagementteam@ashe.ucla.edu.

For faculty and staff who test positive:

• Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate immediately and call UCLA Occupational Health at 310-825-6771 to report the positive test. .

Those who test positive should also: 

• Isolate for five days per the LACDPH Isolation Order.
• Wear a mask
• UCLA has designated isolation and quarantine spaces available to students living in on-campus housing. 

A:

• Once a test sample has been completed, it may be deposited in any of the marked collection bins, which are located adjacent to the vending machines.

• Test samples should be deposited within one hour of taking the test in order to maintain proper temperature.

• Individuals depositing test samples before 11 a.m. can expect results within 24-36 hours, while those depositing samples after 11 a.m. can expect results within 48 hours.

A: Indoor masking is strongly encouraged, but not required. For UCLA students, faculty and staff, masks should be worn in the following circumstances:

• Students: Students released from isolation on or after Day 5 must wear a mask around others through Day 10, but they may discontinue masking sooner if they have two negative COVID-19 tests in a row taken at least one day apart before Day 10.
• Faculty and staff: It is required by Cal/OSHA that employees who return to work following early release from isolation wear a highly protective mask in the workplace through Day 10.

Upgraded masks (i.e. surgical, KN95, N95) are still available to UCLA students, faculty and staff — free of charge — at the UCLA Emergency PPE Supply Store, the John Wooden Center, residence hall front desks and in Ackerman Union at the A-level information window (next to the post office).

A: Beginning June 22, 2023, UCLA will be transitioning the campus from its PCR testing program to a new multi-campus program made available by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in partnership with the UCLA SwabSeq Laboratory. While existing UCLA testing kits will work in the new system, the sample registration process will switch over to the new program on June 22. UCLA will no longer have access to PCR results, meaning it is important for students who test positive to contact the UCLA Ashe COVID Hotline at 310-206-6217 or exposuremanagementteam@ashe.ucla.edu, and faculty/staff to report positive results to Occupational Health at 310-825-6771. The following testing centers will continue to distribute PCR tests at no charge to the UCLA community via Bruincard: 

• Ackerman Union, south entrance, UCLA Bookstore
• Haines Hall, west entrance
• Pauley Pavilion, north side, adjacent to Bruin Walk
• Neuroscience Building, west entrance

All other testing centers will be discontinued on June 21, 2023, including Bradley Hall in-person testing center, La Kretz vending machine and all other existing distribution and test collection sites.

A:

• • Report to the appropriate UCLA COVID-19 Hotline and you will be given instructions for isolation:
    • Student: ASHE COVID Hotline (310) 206-6217 and/or email exposuremanagementteam@ashe.ucla.edu
    • Faculty and Staff: Occupational Health (310)-825-6771
  • Isolate per the LACDPH Isolation Order.
    • Isolation can end after Day 5 (i.e., between Day 6-10) if all the following are met:
      • You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, AND
      • Your symptoms are mild and improving, or have never developed.
      • A negative COVID-19 test is no longer required to leave isolation between Day 6-10.
      • NOTE: LACDPH still strongly recommends that persons test negative prior to leaving isolation between Day 6-10. Additionally, this does not apply to health care workers, including student health care workers, who must follow specific protocols.
    • The following groups of students must report to the Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center for observed/proctored rapid antigen testing after day 5 for early release to campus:
      • All Medical Students
      • Nursing and Dental students considered healthcare workers
      • NOTE: If you have symptoms, Day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed. If you never developed symptoms, Day 0 is the day your positive test was taken. Day 1 is the first full day after your positive test was taken.

• • Wear a mask

    • Faculty, staff and students who are in isolation: You must wear a highly protective mask if you need to be around others, including people you live with.
    • Students who meet the criteria to leave isolation after Day 5: You must wear a highly protective mask around others through Day 10.
      • If you meet the criteria to leave isolation after Day 5, you may discontinue wearing a mask sooner (between Day 6-10) only if you have two sequential negative COVID-19 tests taken at least one day apart.
    • Faculty/staff who meet the criteria to leave isolation after Day 5: If you return to work after Day 5, you are required to wear a mask at the workplace for a total of 10 days after your positive test per Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Non-Emergency Regulations (effective Feb. 3, 2023).

A: The UCLA Isolation and Quarantine Process is detailed here (PDF).

Faculty/Staff: 

Faculty/staff do not have to quarantine if they are asymptomatic, regardless of vaccination status, provided they adhere to Cal/OSHA requirements following exposure. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 within the previous 90 days also meet this exemption.

A: Adherence to the latest UCLA isolation/quarantining policies (PDF) is essential for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive. It is important to remember that the contagious period may begin as early as two days prior to the onset of symptoms.

Individuals who were a close contact to a COVID-19 infected person will be subject to quarantine per the LACDPH Quarantine Order unless the following exemption criteria are met:

• Wear a highly protective mask (e.g., surgical mask, N95, KN95 or KF94) around others for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
• Test with an FDA-authorized vial COVID-19 test (e.g., PCR or Antigen test, including at-home tests) 3-5 days after date of exposure.
• Monitor health for 10 days.

Changes to campus policies include:

Positive tests performed outside of the UCLA testing program must be reported through the UCLA COVID-19 Action Center (formerly known as the Symptom Monitoring System) and to the appropriate UCLA COVID-19 Hotline:

• Students: 
  Call the Ashe COVID Hotline at 310-206-6217 and/or send an email to exposuremanagementteam@ashe.ucla.edu

• Faculty and Staff: 
  Call UCLA Occupational Health at 310-825-6217

All UCLA students, staff and faculty must either self-attest to being up-to-date* with the COVID-19 vaccination OR affirmatively decline the vaccine by Dec. 1, 2023 (same as flu vaccine). 

This can be done through the UCLA COVID-19 Action Center starting Oct. 2, 2023. If you are unsure whether you need to take action, you can check your status as an option in the action center.

Beyond this date, only new students and new employees will be required to take action in accordance with the specified timeframes outlined in the UC Policy on Vaccination Programs — With Interim Revisions (8/16/23). The policy allows covered individuals to either confirm being up-to-date* with vaccination having received the COVID-19 vaccine or affirmatively decline with appropriate education. 

*Up-to-date is when one has received doses of a vaccine recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health.The CDC currently recommends everyone aged 5 years and older get 1 dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine that the CDC authorized for use on Sept. 12, 2023.

A: For students, COVID-19 and flu vaccinations are available by scheduling an appointment at the Arthur Ashe Health and Wellness Center. The Ashe Center is also hosting an Immunization Requirement Fair from September 25 to September 29 at the Wooden Center. Students must schedule an appointment for the fair ahead of time on the UCLA Immunization Requirements website.

Faculty and staff can make COVID-19 and influenza (flu) vaccine appointments through their medical provider, pharmacy, clinic, or at a public vaccination site. Please visit the LADPH COVID-19 Vaccines website for more information about where to get vaccinated.
A flu vaccine fair for faculty and staff will also be held at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, B-Level, from Oct. 16–21. More info to come.

A: Please continue to quarantine pending the result of your PCR test. If your PCR test if negative, you are free to leave isolation as long as you do not have symptoms. If your result is positive, please continue to isolate and a member of the exposure management team will contact you for case investigation.

A: You need to quarantine immediately. Call the COVID hotline at 310-206-6217 if you are a student and leave a voicemail for the Exposure Management Team who will return your call during business hours. For faculty and staff, please contact the UCLA COVID Call Center at (310) 267-3300. 

Training for Voluntary Use of N95 Respirators

Students are also highly encouraged to complete this training to better educate themselves on proper use and fit.

We encourage any faculty, staff or students who wish to take advantage of the personal protection that voluntary-use N95 masks provide to request one from their department and attend the clinic. More information about the clinic time and location will be provided soon.

Additional information on acquiring N-95 masks for voluntary use and instructions and required training (PDF), is available on the Emergency PPE Supply Store website.

Instructions for Mask Use, Removal and Reuse

Those using medical-grade masks (see informational PDF), KN95 masks and N95 respirators should follow these tips from the CDC regarding proper fit and use:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Place mask over nose and mouth and secure under chin.
• Hook loops of mask around ears.
• Pinch top around the nose.

A: UCLA faculty members are committed to accommodating students who cannot be in class due to isolation and quarantine protocols through video or audio streaming or recordings, makeup assignments and assessments, alternative projects or other means. Instructors have been informed that students’ absences due to isolation or quarantining should not factor into any attendance component of students’ final grade.

Students needing to isolate or quarantine are encouraged to notify their course instructors as soon as possible and explain their circumstances. If an instructor requires a medical note, students can visit the Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center’s patient portal and select the medical excuse option under “Messages.”

Students who are significantly sick with COVID-19 may qualify as being temporarily disabled and receive support from the Center for Accessible Education following an interactive process with the instructor.

A: Since our return to the classroom in fall 2021, we have seen instructors adapt to the needs of students unable to attend class in person by recording and/or broadcasting courses live via Zoom, designing assessments that are not tied to specific times and locations, and more. In keeping with guidance previously offered by the administration and the Academic Senate, we endorse instructor use and sharing of recordings and livestreams for students who are absent for pandemic-related reasons, and reaffirm our support for providing other flexibility when it serves learning and equity goals.

We note that faculty have the responsibility, under UC systemwide policy, for applying academic standards to ensure that our university’s degrees have value — with each individual instructor possessing the authority to make decisions about their courses and the dissemination of teaching materials. We know many instructors are already doing so much to be flexible while maintaining academic excellence, and we offer our gratitude. For those who wish to learn more, resources related to using technology effectively for teaching, learning and assessment can be found on our Center for the Advancement of Teaching website. Several other specific resources appear below:

• Activating BruinCast in equipped classrooms
• Requesting Zoom Lecture Assistants
• Turning on closed captioning on Zoom
• Uploading videos through Kaltura on Bruin Learn to access auto-captioning
• UCLA Health IT guide for remote teaching
• UCLA Psychology IT guide to technology enhanced rooms
• CEILS Classroom Technology Guide
• UCLA Alternative Assessment Approaches
• Universal Design for Learning Recorded Workshop

Students who are immunocompromised, have disabilities or special medical circumstances that make them more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 may seek reasonable academic adjustments by:

• Contacting the UCLA Center for Accessible Education (CAE), which will review requests from students to reorder course sequences for their health and safety, seeking to ensure that immunocompromised and other students do not lose opportunities to take required courses in a timely way.
• Requesting notes from CAE, which is assigning notetakers to attend in-person classes and provide notes and/or individual recordings of the lectures for those students who have been granted accommodations.

A: Yes. UCLA requires all students, faculty, other academic appointees and staff learning, living or working at UC locations to get their flu vaccines by Nov. 1, 2023. Students who are noncompliant are subject to an academic hold. Information about where to find vaccination sites, how to schedule a vaccine and insurance coverage can be found at the Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center website. 

Those who file for an exception will be required to wear face masks on campus through the end of flu season even if COVID-19 protocols are lifted.
To document your vaccine or to file for an exception, please do the following:

1. Navigate to the UCLA COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring and Vaccination Verification System.
2. Click the green “Flu Vaccine Verification” button at the top of the page.
3. Select your UCLA affiliation.
4. Enter your Single Sign-On login credentials and follow the prompts.

A: Information on providing proof of vaccination and booster status is available at this page.

All students, faculty and staff who will be living, learning or working on campus or at other UCLA facilities are required to submit proof of their vaccination and boosters to UCLA. Individuals can do so online or use the UCLA Mobile app, which is available on the App Store and the Google Play Store.

Proof of vaccination and/or booster should be submitted by following the directions below:

• Students
  Students can submit proof by logging into the Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center’s electronic patient portal and clicking on the Medical Clearance section. 
• Employees
  Staff and faculty can most easily confirm their status through UCLA’s UCLA COVID-19 Action Center by giving the university consent to check UCLA Health records and the California vaccination database. (Alternatively, you can upload an image of your CDC vaccination card or non-U.S. equivalent, or upload an official medical record from your health care provider.)
  
  If you gave consent to check records for your initial vaccination, the survey should automatically update your booster status. If you didn’t, you can give consent for your booster. If your records are not found, the system will provide instructions on how to proceed.
• Other campus categories
  More information for UCLA Health employees and those in clinical settings, non-matriculating students and K-12 students is available at this website.
  
  
  

A: Information on daily reported COVID-19 cases among members of the campus community can be found on the UCLA COVID-19 resources page. As of Sept. 23, 2021, this page also reports the percentage of UCLA students, faculty and staff who are fully vaccinated.

A: Eight separate pivot points — including increased UCLA or regional rates of breakthrough cases, increases in UCLA or regional positive tests, increases in COVID-related deaths in the region, decreases in available ICU beds, decrease in available isolation capacity or contract-tracing capacity — will result in implementation of additional health and safety protocols or a scaling down of in-person activities.

Pivots ranging from an increase in remote learning to limitations of campus activities will be triggered based on an increase in those eight factors and the severity of increase in those factors.

This is addressed in the document titled UCLA COVID-19 Pivot Plan and Decision Matrix. This document can also be found on the COVID site protocols page.

A: Engineers are problem solvers. At UCLA, we have not shied away from challenges presented by COVID-19. Our computer scientists and engineers have been collaborating with colleagues at the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Health to develop urgently needed personal protective equipment, cutting-edge testing methods, predictive models adopted by the CDC and vaccine boosters. And there are numerous creative student-led efforts as well.

You can read the highlights of UCLA Samueli COVID-related research projects and press coverage here.

A: Auditing classes will be up to each individual professor’s discretion. If you’d like to audit a specific class, you can email the professors and they may be able to add you as a participant to the CCLE page and allow you to access course material.

A: If students cannot attend in-person classes, professors should consider the best means to provide instruction to these students. This can include allowing the student to arrange for the classes to be recorded through Zoom. Many classrooms are equipped for BruinCast Video or Audio or Zoom streaming and professors are encouraged to record their lectures.

A: UCLA is not subject to any classroom density limitations. There are no caps on the number of students in a classroom beyond the normal room capacity. See UCLA’s Protocols for Fall 2021 Instruction from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force and the Academic Personnel Office.