HDH: COVID-19 Updates

Last updated: September 16, 2020

In continued support of UC San Diego students, on-campus housing communities will remain open and operational for Summer Session and fall quarter. Students can expect to see changes, including enhanced precautionary measures, to protect their health and well-being. If public health considerations cause the university to request students to vacate on-campus housing, students will not be charged for the unused portion of their housing and dining contracts.

Undergraduate Housing Residents – Current and Incoming Fall 2020 Students

Move-In Period

Move-in will be staggered over a 10-day period, beginning Sept. 19 through 28, 2020.

Residents will undergo testing for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival. For undergraduates, testing will be conducted in two stages. After the initial test, students living in residential units will wear face coverings at all times except for when alone in their bedroom and in the shower. After everyone has arrived, there will be a second test. Once a second negative result is received by all students within the unit, they are no longer required to wear face coverings within their unit.

Once all units have cleared this hurdle, ‘residential pods’ will be formed by combining smaller residential units within the same building. Residents within a ‘pod’ will be able to visit each other in their units without masking, enabling small-group social interactions.

Testing

Testing during the move-in period will take place at campus parking lot P102. Students need to sign up for testing and move-in times before arriving on campus. Move-in sign-up is in 15-minute increments. Students should plan to arrive in one vehicle with no more than two members of their moving party in order to allow for physical distancing. If the student is not driving the vehicle, they need to sit in the front passenger seat to aid in an efficient testing process.

Students will be checked in for testing upon arrival on campus on their specific move-in day. All vehicle occupants will be asked to confirm that they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and have completed the 14-day quarantine period if they have recently traveled from Level 2 and 3 international locations as outlined in the San Diego Public Health Order. If members of the student’s moving party have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 on the day of move-in, they will not be able to enter the residential buildings. UC San Diego staff will also check to make sure that all vehicle occupants are wearing a face covering. Anyone coming to UC San Diego is required to wear a face covering while on campus in all spaces where people are in proximity of one another, both inside and outside. Campus residents will receive a free mask as part of the move-in and testing process. The student's moving party will need to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms the day of their student’s scheduled move-in before coming to campus. If members of the student’s moving party have any symptoms on the day of their student’s scheduled move-in, they should not come to campus.

After checking in, students will be directed to one of multiple testing stations. Student Health Services plans to administer approximately 800 tests per day. After testing is complete, students will wait in a holding area until they receive confirmation that space is available in their residential college’s designated move-in parking area.

Move-In Logistics

Once at their residential college, only the student is allowed to check in to receive their keys. Moving party members must wait in their vehicle. Elevator use is restricted to one student or one student and their moving party at any given time. To minimize the number of people and to aid in physical distancing, moving party members will have 45 minutes to help their student unload their belongings from their vehicle and move into their room. Students should bring their own handcart if needed as carts will not be provided to maintain a contact-free move-in process.

During the move-in period, all dining will follow a to-go model.

Programming and Activities During the Move-In Period

Students will be asked to limit their interactions close to their residential college during the move-in period until testing is completed for the entire community. They are also asked to wear a face covering mask within their shared residential unit until the entire community receives their SARS-CoV-2 test results. The Residential Life team, with support from other campus partners, will be offering virtual programming and DIY activities during the move-in period. Students can also participate in virtual hikes, workouts and eSports, led by UC San Diego Recreation.

Daily Symptom and Exposure Screening and Required Testing

All undergraduate and graduate students coming to campus for educational, research, co-curricular, recreational or social activities (including all students living in university-owned housing) will receive free testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Required testing will take place twice per month with each test at least 12 days apart and with no more than 16 days between tests. For clarification: “educational activities” includes attending a class as a student, but not as an instructor.

Should COVID-19 symptoms develop, the daily screener facilitates easy access to COVID-19 testing with an online self-scheduling process in MyStudentChart and results are available usually within 24-36 hours. All students are strongly encouraged to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and conduct a daily self-screening in order to consistently monitor their health and quickly seek testing, if the need arises.

Late Arrivals

Students who miss their scheduled move-in time and date will need to arrive at the testing site the following morning. Overnight stay options are available with local hotels at pre-negotiated rates. Students would be responsible for these costs.

Students who miss their scheduled move-in time and date on Sept. 28 will need to go to the Price Center testing site on Sept. 29. They will only be allowed to move in if their Qwik Pass says “Sept. 28, 2020”.

Students moving in after Sept. 28 will need to quarantine in designated housing for 14 days prior to moving into their fall housing assignment. Students arriving after Sept. 28 must notify their Residence Life Office of their arrival date. Housing will send instructions on how to apply for the 14-day quarantine housing and information on signing up for a SARS-CoV-2 test on their 14th day. Results are available usually within 24-36 hours. If results are negative, students will be sent instructions on how to move into their fall housing assignment.

Fall Quarter 2020