Campus Messages

An archive of email messages sent to the entire UCSF community by the Chancellor and members of the Chancellor's Cabinet.

New UCSF Policies and UC Vaccination Policy

Joshua Adler
July 15, 2021

Dear UCSF Community,

I am writing to share important changes to our policies, including masking and quarantine requirements, and to notify you about the new UC systemwide vaccination requirement. Please take a moment to review these critical updates.

Despite overall progress, UCSF has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases as the Delta variant spreads, posing a growing threat especially to the unvaccinated. The good news is that COVID-19 vaccines are proving to be very effective in preventing serious illness and death. The majority of breakthrough infections among the vaccinated is resulting in mild symptoms that rarely require hospitalization.

As you may know, the Delta variant is much more contagious than other variants and is leading to more infections, including among the vaccinated. Approximately 89% of the UCSF community has been vaccinated and we, therefore, expect to see some breakthrough cases given our large population of vaccinated persons and how easily the Delta variant spreads.

With the increase in COVID-19 infections, it is critically important that you get vaccinated to protect yourself and your family, colleagues, and our patients. In addition, as health leaders of the communities in which we live and work, we have the special responsibility to practice sound COVID-19 hygiene as we serve all those who rely on us.

New UCSF Policy Changes

Effective immediately, UCSF is making the following policy changes:

  • Everyone – regardless of vaccination status – must wear a mask or face covering at all indoor locations at UCSF (except while eating and drinking) and while riding in campus shuttles or standing in line for shuttles.
  • Those who have been exposed to a person with confirmed COVID-19 in their household are required to undergo a 10-day quarantine until cleared for work or study by Occupational Health Services (OHS) or Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS). Transmission rates are highest in households due to the intensity and duration of exposure to the virus.
  • Employees with unprotected, prolonged exposure (within six feet for 15 minutes or longer) to a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection should call the COVID Hotline at (415) 514-7328 for assessment and instructions, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Students should send a secure message to the COVID-19 nurse through their personal health portal.
Ongoing Actions You Should Take

As a reminder it is important that everyone at UCSF continues to:

  • Complete the UCSF daily health screener at https://www.ucsfhealth.org/daily-health-screening, whether you have symptoms or not. It is important that the screener is completed before tapping your UCSF identification badge at any electronic badge reader to enter a UCSF building. At UCSF Fresno, complete the online screening and show your clearance pass for entry.
  • Stay at home and get tested if you have any symptoms, including what might feel like a common cold. Many individuals with breakthrough cases of the Delta strain experience cold-like symptoms, including headache, runny nose, and a sore throat.
  • Get tested early, as soon as symptoms develop, to help reduce spread of the virus at work and at home.
  • Wash your hands frequently. This continues to be an effective way to limit infections and virus transmission.
UC Systemwide Vaccination Policy

As expected, the UC Office of the President today issued a final COVID-19 vaccination policy requiring all faculty, staff, students and trainees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or to seek medical or religious exemption. Highlights of the new policy are below, and you may read more at https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2021/07/ucs-covid-19-vaccine-policy.html

  • Those who are fully vaccinated and have submitted proof of vaccination (if received outside of UCSF) to the OHS portal are in compliance.
  • Those who have previously declined a vaccination, need to get approval for an exemption under the new UC policy or get vaccinated.
  • Those with approved exemptions, accommodations or deferrals may work at their campus location with the expectation that they will wear masks in all public settings, and comply with their campus testing plan.
  • Employees who choose not to be vaccinated, and have no approved exemption, accommodation or deferral, potentially put others’ health at risk and may face disciplinary actions.

UC guidelines for how this policy will be implemented systemwide are expected to be issued next week. Once UC finalizes those guidelines, UCSF will develop its plans for implementation and will share more information as it becomes available and at the COVID-19 Town Hall on Friday, July 23.

Thank you for all you do to fulfill our mission and serve all of our communities during this pandemic. We appreciate your ongoing efforts to make our campus and communities safer.

Sincerely,

Josh Adler, MD
Chief Clinical Officer, UCSF Heath
Vice Dean Clinical Affairs, UCSF School of Medicine