COVID-19 Information for UC San Diego

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can be very contagious and can spread quickly. The virus spreads mainly from person to person when an infected person breathes out droplets and particles that contain the virus, and other people can breathe in these particles and can become sick. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some become severely ill. For more information about how it’s spread, symptoms, testing, treatments, and recommendations, please visit the CDC pages on COVID-19 Information and Respiratory Virus Guidance.

Options for COVID-19 Testing

The free COVID-19 testing program at UCSD will end April 30, 2025.  If you need to get tested for COVID after April 30, 2025 you may;

• Contact your healthcare provider.
• Visit your local drug/retail store.
• On campus, the UCSD Bookstore and Target may sell rapid test kits.
• Find a testing site in your community.

All students and employees have access to COVID self-administered test kits through over two dozen vending machines located across campus. Each vending machine is stocked with PCR test kits, rapid antigen tests and some vending machines provide masks. Students and employees can obtain up to 2 items from the vending machine daily using their campus ID cards.

Sample pickup schedule:

PCR test samples are picked up Monday through Friday. They are picked up at 12 pm Monday - Thursday; and the last pickup for the week is Friday at 10:00 am. Please do not drop off any PCR samples over the weekend, as they will be invalid tests. Campus holidays may affect pick-up times and days. Please check this page for holiday pick-up schedule updates.

Rapid Antigen tests are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the vending machines. 

Vending machine locations

Locations: Vending Machines can be found on the UC San Diego app or on the map by selecting "Locations," "Services" and clicking on "COVID Test Kits."

Please note: The following list is only effective until April 30, 2025. On May 1, 2025 some vending machines might be decommissioned, moved, repurposed or removed.

• Muir College | Roots Restaurant (map) 
• Seventh College | Next to the Parcel Center (map)  
• Nuevo East (Porton) | Outdoor Gym Area (map) 
• Price Center | First Floor Across from Burger King (map)* 
• Thurgood Marshall College Res Halls | TMC Residence Life Lobby (map) 
• Warren College | Across from the Residence Life Office (map) 
• Eleanor Roosevelt College | Next to the Laundry Room at Student Activity Center (map) 
• Village at Pepper Canyon | Lodge (map) 
• South Mesa | 9126 Laundry Room (map) 
• One Miramar | Next to the Parcel Center (map) 
• School of Medicine | Biomedical Research Facility II (map) 
• Revelle College | Argo Hall Parcel Center (map) 
• Campus Services Complex | Electric Shop (map) 
• South Parking Structure | Level 3 West Entrance (map) 
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography | Eckart Building Loading Dock (map) 
• Jacobs School of Engineering | Near Bear Statue (map) 
• Gilman Parking | Corridor of Pepper Canyon Hall (map) 
• Coast Apartments | Laundry Room (map) 
• North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood (map) 
• Rita Atkinson Residences (map) 
• Torrey Pines Center South | Second-floor breezeway near shuttle (map) 

How to use the vending machines:

If you have trouble with any vending machine, please email EHS-PH@ucsd.edu and include 1) the vending machine location and 2) the error message you received. If one vending machine gives you an error, you can still try using other vending machines across campus.

Based on your vending machine selection you will need the following;

Rapid Antigen Tests Kits OR Masks

• Only your campus photo ID

For PCR Test kits

• Campus photo ID
• Active Directory username and password
• Smartphone or mobile device with the UC San Diego app AND MyUCSDChart or MyStudentChart app installed  

Step 1. Touch screen to begin.

Step 2. Swipe or tap your ID.

• Test kits are FREE, but a virtual $1.00 debt will appear on your campus card, followed by an immediate $1.00 credit.

Step 3. Select number slot corresponding to the item you want to obtain.

• Some machines ask you to select the item first before swiping card. If you get an error, try again by switching step #2 and #3.

Step 4. The vending machine will dispense a test kit that includes a test kit, swab, test tube and instructions of use.

Step 5. Leave the vending machine area to take your test.

For PCR tests

1. Open the UC San Diego app on your smart phone
2. Select Scan Your COVID-19 Kit
3. Confirm that the app captured the bar code
4. Follow instructions to complete your nasal swab

Once done, return to any vending machine for drop-off

5. Remove the test tube from the clamshell and droop the sample vial on the drop box labeled “DROP SCANNED VIALS ONLY”
   1. Drop off days/hours - Monday to Friday. Last pickup for the week is Friday at 10am.
   2. DO NOT drop off your samples over the weekend. Any sample dropped on the weekend or on a UCSD holiday will not be processed.
6. Recycle the clamshell by depositing in the labeled recycling bin. COVID Test Kit Plastic Container Bin is right next to the sample drop box.

For Rapid Antigen Tests

1. Follow the instructions provided on the test kit.
2. If positive,
   1. employees – take a picture of it with your campus ID and upload it to MyChart
   2. students – report your positive result to MyStudentChart

If you test positive for COVID-19 please follow the guidelines recommended by the CDC to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses when your are sick and find out about your options as a UC Campus employee by visiting the Sick Leave/Bereavement page.

Staff & Faculty (including Volunteers & Student Employees)

Masking in a non-healthcare setting is currently optional, except for the following circumstances:

In all indoor areas for those who:

1. Are completing their isolation after testing positive for COVID-19; 
2. You received a notification of an outbreak in your UCSD workspace. 

Please be respectful of the masking choices of team members and treat colleagues with respect and civility. There is no place for harassment or bullying of anyone based on their masking choice. We should trust that they are making the best choice for themselves and their family.

Masking in a healthcare setting

• For up-to-date guidelines for Healthcare Settings, please visit Pulse.  
• Team members will continue to be supplied with masks upon request and may continue masking for any reason.

For proper use, the face covering must cover both the nose and mouth. Further information can be found on the Campus Guidance on Use of Face Coverings to Prevent Community Spread of COVID-19 webpage.

Visit Ordering COVID-19 PPE for a list of available items and ordering guidance through Oracle.

N95 Respiratory Protection Inquiries 

EH&S provides respirator certification and fit testing services. Additional safeguards and precautions are implemented to ensure the safety of both the program administrator and the customer during this process. For more information, visit the UC San Diego Respiratory Protection Program for regular updates. Campus employees who choose to wear N95-respirators on campus must follow these guidelines..

Students 

• Students with known exposure may return to campus but should be masked at ALL times for the 10 days immediately following exposure.
• Positive students should continue to wear a face mask until the end of Day 10 regardless of whether symptoms are present, even if isolation has ended early, especially when indoors and anytime they are around others.
• Negative students are encouraged to wear a mask while symptoms are present, especially when indoors and anytime they are around others.

If an employee/volunteer on your team tests positive

• Check on how they are doing and assess time-off needed. 
• If the employee tested with a rapid antigen test, or at a non-UC San Diego location, remind them to;
  • Report their positive test and upload a picture via MyUCSDChart.  
  • Fill out the symptom screener. 
• Once the positive test is properly reported, 
  • Employee will receive an email from COEM with information. 
  • Employee will receive an email with a link to complete a 5-10 minute case investigation questionnaire.  The questionnaire may be completed in English or Spanish and must be completed within 24 hours of receiving the link. 
  • Supervisor symptom screener notification  - will receive an email when an employee fails the symptom screener 
    • red thumb: employee is not cleared to work onsite. 
    • yellow thumb: employee is allowed to work, it is strongly recommended to Mask, Test and Monitor for Symptoms. 
    • If you have an employee under your supervision who does not have access to the internet, you must work with that employee to develop an alternate process.  
  • Supervisor workplace exposure notification - will receive an email notification from EOC of a potential workplace exposure.  This notification is required by law in accordance with AB-685 and Cal/OSHA 3205 and must be sent out before 5pm the next business day.  The workplace locations will also be posted on the Dashboard. Please remind all employees to visit the Exposure Dashboard on a daily basis and if exposed, to follow confirmed exposure guidelines. 
  • Supervisor employee clearance notification -  As of 05/17/2024 supervisors will no longer receive an email from COEM when the employee is cleared to return to work. Employees may return to work if they meet the criteria described under employee isolation guidelines described above. 
• Paid leave positions: All COVID-19 related leave ended on 12/31/2022.
  • Work with your HR partner to share which leaves are available to the employee. 
• If you have questions about return-to-work clearance, please email coemexposure@health.ucsd.edu.
• To comply with privacy policies and laws and maintain patient confidentiality, the basis for the employee’s exclusion from campus should remain confidential and should not be shared.

According to the 2023 Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations; A workplace outbreak occurs when three (3) or more COVID-19 positive employee or student employee cases have a confirmed close contact to each other at shared on-campus workplace location within a 7-day period.  

• A close contact is defined by looking at the size of the workplace in which the exposure takes place. For indoor airspaces of 400,000 or fewer cubic feet, individuals in the same indoor airspaces with a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the COVID-19 case’s infectious period are considered close contacts. All UCSD campus buildings do not exceed 400,000 cubic feet and fall under this airspace definition. 
• An exposed group are all employees at a work location, working area, or a common area at work, within employer-provided transportation covered by section 3205.3, or residing within housing covered by section 3205.2, where an employee COVID-19 case was present at any time during their infectious period. A common area at work includes bathrooms, walkways, hallways, aisles, break or eating areas, and waiting areas.   

In accordance with Cal/OSHA 3205.1(b)(3) requirement, all employees who are a close contact of a confirmed outbreak are required to test within 3 to 5 days of exposure. If the employee close contact does not test or refuse to test, they must follow these Cal/OSHA guidelines:  

• Symptomatic: Must be excluded from the workplace and treated as a case if refusing to test. They can return after being symptom-free for 24 hours without medication, with improving symptoms, and must wear a mask for 10 days upon return.  
• Asymptomatic: Not excluded from the workplace but treated as an asymptomatic case. Must wear a mask for 10 days from the last date of exposure, including close contacts who refuse to test. 

Employees who are part of an outbreak exposed group are required by campus policy and CAL-OSHA to:  

• Mask for at least 10 days when indoors or when outdoors and less than six feet from another person unless one of the exceptions in 3205 (f)(2) apply;  
  • When an employee is alone in a room or vehicle. 
  • While eating or drinking at the workplace, provided employees are at least six feet apart. 
  • While employees are wearing respirators required by the employer and used in compliance with section 5144. 
  • Employees who cannot wear face coverings due to a medical or mental health condition or disability, or who are hearing-impaired or communicating with a hearing-impaired person. Such employees shall wear an effective non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom, if the condition or disability permits it. 
  • During specific tasks which cannot feasibly be performed with a face covering. This exception is limited to the time period in which such tasks are actually being performed. 
• Monitor for Symptoms for 10 days. If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell, or other symptoms, please test immediately. 
  • You may pick up a COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen test) at any of the UCSD vending machines.   
    • If you test negative, you may return to work masked.  
    • If you test positive, do not return to work. Follow instructions for Faculty & Staff for what to do if you test COVID-19 POSITIVE. 
  • You may test once a week until the end of the 10-day period.  

Supervisor Outbreak Information

The UCSD Fusion Center team will work with supervisors and employees to provide resources and information to the UC San Diego community to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at work.

If your team is involved in an outbreak;

1. Fusion Center will call/email to supervisor - Look for and respond promptly to an email/call from the UCSD Fusion Center requesting important information needed to meet Cal/OSHA requirements.
2. Communicate to team members - Promptly forward/post workplace notifications to close contacts and exposed groups. 
   • Workplace notifications and exposure group notifications will be emailed to supervisors by the UCSD Fusion Center.
3. Compliance - Assist the UCSD Fusion Center team in making sure employees comply with required Cal/OSHA guidelines. 
4. Employee Clearance - The UCSD Fusion Center team will email supervisors a notification if an employee close contact has not tested within 5 days of exposure.

If you have any questions, you may email ucsdcovidadmin@health.ucsd.edu.

EXPOSURE DASHBOARD

When UC San Diego receives notice that an individual infected with COVID‐19 was present in a UC San Diego building or worksite, the specific locations will be shared. We are required to notify you about these potential exposures.  

Please review the dashboard and if you were present at the same location during the periods indicated, read the information on “If you have a confirmed exposure or develop symptoms” 

This notification is being provided pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 2693 & AB685. 

• The UC Vaccination policy currently applies. Vaccination remains one of the best ways to protect yourself from infection and severe disease. Visit the following links for information and guidelines about UC San Diego's vaccination policy:

  Faculty & Staff (including Volunteers & Student Employees)
  To remain “fully vaccinated,” campus employees are required to have completed their initial vaccination series and a booster dose within 30 days of becoming eligible. If you are eligible for a booster but recently were positive for COVID-19, you will have up to 90 days after being infected to receive your booster. Your date for boosting has been extended by up to 90 days to remain compliant with the UC mandate. At this time, a second booster dose is not required to remain compliant with the UC Vaccine Mandate.

  Compliance
  To meet the COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the university must confirm all campus members are fully vaccinated. Your vaccination information is securely housed in your employee health record. Only the vaccination status will be shared; clinical details will not be shared with the university.

  Vaccination Status Definitions

  What does it mean to be fully vaccinated?

  • You have received a booster shot and it has been 7 days or more since your booster shot, or
  • You have received the complete initial vaccination dose(s) and you are not yet eligible for a booster.
  • At this time, a second booster dose is not required to remain compliant with the UC Vaccine Mandate.

  What is considered not fully vaccinated?

  • You have received a booster shot and it has been less than 7 days since your booster shot;
  • You have received a complete initial vaccine series and are eligible for a booster shot, but have not yet received one;
  • You did not complete the initial vaccine series;
  • You have not received any vaccines.

  If you haven’t already done so, please submit your COVID-19 vaccination documentation as soon as possible.

  Documenting your COVID-19 vaccination or booster received outside of UC San Diego Health.
  
  

  Please follow the instructions listed below.

  1. Log into MyUCSDChart (employees).
  2. Click on the Menu and select COVID-19 under the My Record header.
  3. Click on Update within the blue box titled, “Not seeing your COVID-19 vaccine?” If your vaccine is documented within the state registry, it will automatically appear. If the "Update" button does not appear, navigate to the "Immunizations" page in the Menu to input your booster information there.
  4. If your vaccine is not documented within the state registry, click on the blue Enter Vaccine Details button.
  5. On the next screen, choose Yes to indicate you’d like to enter vaccination documentation and type in the numerical number of vaccine doses you intend to report (you can enter first and second doses as well as booster information).
  6. Answer the questions below about your vaccination, including manufacturer and date administered.
  7. Upload a photo of your COVID-19 Vaccination Record card by choosing the Attach a document button. Once uploaded, select Continue.
  8. Review the information you have submitted to ensure accuracy, then select Submit.
  9. You will see a green confirmation box with a message about next steps. Please allow up to one week for your record to be updated.

  Vaccine declination process

  In accordance with recent updated State guidelines, UC Office of the President (UCOP) has issued changes to align the Covid-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate still requires employees to be vaccinated with the primary series plus the latest booster recommended by the CDC and/or CDPH. The vaccine mandate now allows employees who want an exemption to follow a process that mimics the flu declination.

  To report or decline a COVID vaccine, go to MyUCSDChart. You will complete the UCSD EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT ONLY - Vaccine Questionnaire.

  Students

  The UC Vaccination policy currently applies to students. For more information on vaccine mandate deadlines,  submitting vaccine records, and exemptions visit the Health Requirements for Students page.

Faculty and staff: Contact your doctor or medical professional.

Students: Contact Student Health Services, (858) 534-3300.

• CDPH
  • Respiratory virus information
  • COVID Resouces
  • When to wear a mask
• CDC 
  • When sick visit the CDC​​ Preventing Spread of Respiratory Viruses When You’re Sick:  https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html
  • COVID guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• State of California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Cal/OSHA
  • COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations