Re: Do Your Part - COVID-19 Testing
To: All campus
Nov. 25, 2020
To the Campus Community,
As we give thanks this holiday season, I’m reminded of the famous line by author William George Jordan: “Gratitude is thankfulness expressed in action.”
While I’m ready for this pandemic to end, I can honestly say that how we have faced this shared challenge has reinforced my thanks for the community that we are a part of.
Of course this challenge is ongoing, and the choices we make every day define our collective safety. Please continue to keep each other in mind as you make important decisions about how you interact this Thanksgiving: limiting the size of interactions, engaging outdoors and following the typical mitigation measures.
When we return to campus in the first week of December, COVID-19 testing will be an instrumental measure to ensure we minimize the risk of bringing the disease into our community. While some testing will be mandatory, we strongly urge even those who are not required to be tested to do so as a means help our community maintain its collective health and wellness.
Students:
All students active on campus will have access to a testing appointment at the Student Health Center. Resident students who leave for the holiday will be required to complete two tests within 14 days of their return to the residence halls. Students who are working in research facilities, including graduate students, will need to complete one test no later than Dec. 11. Please schedule your appointment as soon as possible with the Student Health Center.
Faculty and staff:
Employees who are active on campus more than once a week with recurring frequency are strongly encouraged to schedule an exam with the clinic that will be hosted on campus Thursday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The clinic will be in partnership with Castle Family Health and will be located at the gymnasium in the Gallo Recreation Center. Please schedule an appointment here.
For those who are not active on campus, we also strongly encourage scheduling a test at the county’s testing facility at the Merced County fairgrounds. This is free to all Merced County residents. You can book an appointment here.
More information on COVID testing in general throughout Merced County can be found on the County of Merced website.
I hope each and every one of us has a wonderful Thanksgiving of celebration and gratitude. Let’s continue to Do Our Part in keeping our community strong and vibrant.
With many thanks,
Andrew Boyd
Chief Resilience Officer
