Further updates on the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, including L.A. County’s announcement that higher ed faculty and staff will be eligible to receive the vaccines beginning March 1. For the most up-to-date information, visit our Vaccine Information page.
To the Oxy Community:
We want to share with you the latest information from L.A. County health officials as it relates to campus operations and our outlook on vaccinations for the Oxy community. At this time, we don’t have all the details, but can share some noteworthy updates:
-
Vaccinations - Consistent with yesterday’s reporting in the L.A. Times, higher ed faculty and staff will be eligible to receive the vaccines beginning March 1. Given the limited vaccine supply, Oxy will not receive any allocation by this date, nor have we been provided with a timeline for receiving the vaccine. This means that Oxy staff and faculty members should go to a county site to receive their vaccination after March 1. We anticipate that proof of identification, presumably through a picture Oxy ID and/or a pay stub from the College, will be required to prove eligibility. As more information becomes available, Sara Semal will send further updates to the community with details regarding the vaccination process.
-
Given the improving trends in the area, county officials are allowing colleges and universities to open additional campus facilities beginning as soon as next week. At this time, these include outdoor athletic facilities (for non-contact activities), the library, and art and music studios, all at limited capacity, with mandatory mask use and social distancing. Outdoor study sessions will be permitted as well with certain restrictions. In the coming days, the COVID Operations Group will be meeting and working with key departments to discuss staffing and operational needs so that we can implement these changes. Please look out for updates next week with more information.
-
Officials also reaffirmed that the existing county restrictions which dictate that we remain in remote learning mode with very few students (international students and those with housing hardship) in res halls will be in place for the rest of spring. Because students cannot return to campus, Oxy will not be able to participate in spring sports, as President Elam announced last week.