From the Desk of Willie Brown
COVID-19 Update: One Year Later
WOW! It has been a full year since we entered COVID-19 related lockdowns. It’s amazing how time flies. Life as we know it has changed and we still have a ways to achieve whatever we envision as “the next normal”. To accomplish this we need to use these simple tools which we all can personally control…
- Wearing a mask
- Social distancing
- Washing our hands
- Getting the vaccine when given the opportunity
The good news is, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced that individuals working in education are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. This means all UCSB employees should be able to receive vaccines when more doses become available. I strongly urge you to take advantage of any opportunity to obtain vaccines through your own healthcare provider, or from those listed on the SBCPHD website, and to register online with the California Department of Public Health Portal MyTurn. Registration by telephone is also available in multiple languages at the CA COVID-19 Hotline (1-888-422-4255). The website VaccineFinder.org also provides information about vaccines that are available at nearby locations. Please accept the first available opportunity for a vaccine, wherever it may be.
Since the last Compass newsletter went out, the decision was made to not offer additional housing in spring quarter. At this point, the campus has not made definitive plans for summer or fall housing. I am optimistic that with vaccines and continued testing, mask wearing, social distancing and handwashing, we are on track to welcome students back to campus by this fall. The specifics on how many spaces will be available has yet to be determined. I will continue to share information in the coming months as it becomes available.
It is with great pleasure I share that I have started meeting virtually with HDAE staff members during their regularly scheduled team meetings. It’s been nice to say hello, and to thank folks for their tremendous work and their ability to adapt to a variety of situations with energy, enthusiasm and professionalism. I hope to Zoom with all 600+ of you eventually. It’s important that we continue to touch base and see each other's faces. In the meantime, if you have any questions for me, please feel free to email me at willie.brown@auxiliary.ucsb.edu.