From the Desk of Willie Brown

I would like to start by conveying my gratitude for the work you are doing to serve our UCSB community during this unprecedented time. As some of the most critical staff on our campus, your work has not gone unnoticed by me or the campus leadership; thank you.

With the reopening of local businesses and the loosening of the stay-at-home order it feels good to be cautiously reengaging in our daily routines and activities. However, the seriousness of COVID-19 persists and it is important, perhaps now more than ever, to remain attentive in our measures to prevent the spread of this virus. I would like to ask each of you to continue to heed the advice and guidelines set forth by the CDC and Public Health officials. Most importantly for our work, but not limited to:

• Wear face coverings

• Practice social distancing of at least 6 feet

• Avoid gathering or congregating, and if necessary, wear face coverings

• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer until hand washing is available 

• Avoid touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth)

• Clean, disinfect, and sanitize frequently touched surfaces often

• Stay at home if you feel sick or are exhibiting COVID-19 related symptoms

I know this has been an extremely challenging few months, it has been for me also. We have all quickly adapted to the many life changes brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to your efforts, we have managed this crisis well.  Our journey is not over and we must constantly remain vigilant and stay the course of recovery we are on to normal operations. Therefore, it is critical that we, all of us, continue to take precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. Together we will get through this.

If you have any thoughts or concerns, please feel free to send me a note at willie.brown@ucsb.edu. Keep up the great work!