UCOP COVID-19 Positive Case Reporting

UCOP isolation, quarantine, and return to work requirements are in alignment with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Cal/OSHA guidance. In some cases, local county or UCOP guidance may be more restrictive than CDPH guidance or Cal/OSHA requirements, and in those cases, the more restrictive requirements are applied.

As the requirements differ for positive cases, close contacts, and vaccination status, the UCOP contact tracing team will advise you of requirements relevant to your specific situation.

All on-site employees, contractors, vendors and visitors must report positive COVID-19 cases and must not come on-site.

Who needs to report?


All employees, contractors, vendors and visitors, must report if they have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19.

If you have come in close contact with someone who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 AND you have been on-site within the last five days (48 hours for contractors, vendors and visitors), you also need to report it.

How do I report if I have a positive case of COVID-19?


UCOP employees:

UCOP contractors, vendors or visitors:

What should I do if I come in close contact with someone who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19?


If you have household or close contact with someone who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, you should do the following:

UCOP employees:

  • If you have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 AND have been on-site in the last 24 hours, you are required to report this to:
  • Self-monitor for symptoms of the following:
    • Fever or chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    • Sore throat (not due to a chronic condition)
    • Muscle aches (not due to a chronic condition)
    • Fatigue
    • Congestion or runny nose (different from pre-existing allergies)
    • New loss of sense of smell or taste (not due to a chronic condition)
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
      • *This list does not include all possible symptoms. Symptoms may change with new COVID-19 variants and van vary depending on vaccination status.
  • If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, you should isolate, test, and mask right away.
  • If you do not have symptoms, you should test within 5 days after the last exposure date (Day 0) and mask when around others for 10 days.
  • Contact your primary care provider if symptoms warrant it.
  • You may return to work when you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild and improving.
  • If you have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, you are required to report this to:

UCOP contractors, vendors and visitors:

  • Stay or return home.
  • Self-monitor for symptoms of the following:
    • Fever or chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    • Sore throat (not due to a chronic condition)
    • Muscle aches (not due to a chronic condition)
    • Fatigue
    • Congestion or runny nose (different from pre-existing allergies)
    • New loss of sense of smell or taste (not due to a chronic condition)
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
  • Contact your primary care provider if symptoms warrant it.
  • If you have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 and you have been on-site in a UCOP facility within the last 24 hours, you are required to report this to complete the UCOP Case and Contact Reporting Form OR report to UCOP-Incident-Report@UCOP.edu/510-987-9991.

What should I do if I have symptoms of COVID-19?


If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should do the following:

UCOP employees:

  • If you have Influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms (fever with shortness of breath and/or cough), you must remain home and will not be allowed to access UCOP facilities.
  • You are required to report your "not approved" status to your supervisor.
  • Contact your primary care provider if symptoms warrant it.
  • You may return to work when you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild and improving.
  • If you have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, you are required to report this to:

UCOP contractors, vendors and visitors:

  • Stay or return home.
  • Notify your employer.
  • Contact your primary care provider if symptoms warrant it.
  • If you have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 and you have been on-site in a UCOP facility within the last 24 hours, you are required to complete the UCOP Case and Contact Reporting Form OR report to UCOP-Incident-Report@UCOP.edu/510-604-7950

What happens once I report a positive case of COVID-19?


UCOP follows predefined protocols when there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 or a close contact for someone who has been on-site. When a report is received, a UCOP Exposure Management Lead (EML) initiates the exposure management process, and the following steps are taken:

A member of the HR team will reach out to you to complete a contact tracing interview to gather the specifics of the case, including the following:
  • How are you doing?
  • When did you receive a positive test result?
  • Are you having symptoms:
    • If yes, what types of symptoms and when did they begin; discuss the next steps for self-care and return to work.
    • If not, discuss the next steps for self-care.
  • When were you last on-site and what was your path of travel when on-site?
  • Who did you interact with when on-site and were they within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more within 24 hours? This will generate additional contact tracing calls to those contacts.
  • If HR does not connect with you, they leave a message and request a callback.

The Incident Report Team initiates outreach to inform identified close contacts, of their potential exposure. During these communications, each close contact receives tailored guidance based on current CDPH and CDC guidance and is advised on the appropriate next steps, ensuring they are supported through the process.

HR updates the Case Reporting Dashboard, which tracks and reports positive COVID-19 cases within the last 15 days across all UCOP locations, excluding the UC Washington Center (UCDC). Employees can stay up to date on positive cases onsite at the UCOP including the dates the COVID case was onsite, time of day, building(s) and floor(s), and onsite areas the positive case had occupied during their infectious period.