Current COVID-19 Information – Updated February  26, 2021

As of February 28, 2021 there are a total of 32,517 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the five county region served by the Yuba Community College District. That is an increase of 1.6% over last Sunday, and a 8.9% increase during the month of February.  Increases by county since last Sunday are: Colusa – .6%; Lake – 3.2%; Sutter – 1.1%; Yolo – 1.9%, with a 2.0% increase in Woodland; and Yuba – 1.2%. 31,430 of the confirmed cases (96.7% of the total cases count) have been classified as recovered. Currently there are 1,087 active cases in the service area. County data is from local county website dashboards. Statewide there are a total of 3,475,562 confirmed cases, an increase of 1.0% since last Sunday.

Hospitalization continue to decline while ICU numbers have remained the same. Currently there are 44 individuals hospitalized in our service area, which is 14 less than last week. There are 16 patients in ICU, which equal to last week. There have been 373 fatalities, seven more than last week.

Total patients hospitalized in the state is 5,143, a 23.3% decrease since last Sunday. The number of ICU patients is 1,507, a 24.8% decrease since last week. Statewide data is from the California Department of Public Health and can be found at https://data.chhs.ca.gov/.

If you need a COVID-19 Test, click on Finding a Testing Site for available locations.

ICU available capacity rates across the state are continuing to increase. As of February 23, statewide capacity is 20.9%. Regional ICU capacities are:  Northern California – 33.6%; Greater Sacramento Region – 24.0%; Bay Area – 25.4%; San Joaquin Valley – 16.8%; Southern California – 19.5%.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Statewide there have been a total of 8,772,886 vaccine doses administered. Local county totals are: Yolo – 54,145; Sutter – 19,137; Lake – 12,644; Yuba – 9,440 and Colusa – 3,248.

 Vaccine eligibility still varies somewhat county to county and seems to be in a constant state of change. Here is the latest as of February 26. Information is from county websites.

 Yolo County (www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-vaccine) Yolo County is increasing its efforts to vaccinate educational workers. They have reserved 20% of its weekly vaccine allotment for educational workers and are working with Dignity Health to schedule appointments. Those working on campuses will receive priority. To check availability of appointments and to register go to www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-vaccine or call 2-1-1.

 Sutter & Yuba Counties (www.yuba.org/vaccines and www.suttercounty.org/vaccine) Starting on Monday, March 1, Educational workers regardless of age will eligible to receive the vaccine. Registration information for all vaccination clinics can be found online at: www.yuba.org/vaccines and www.suttercounty.org/vaccine. YCCD employees working at the Yuba College Marysville Campus, Sutter Center, or district office do not need to be a resident of Yuba or Sutter County to receive the vaccine. Workers will need to bring a letter from their employer or paystub to confirm employment AND an official ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.) for age verification.

Colusa County (https://www.countyofcolusa.org/771/COVID19) Teachers, School Staff and Childcare Providers are eligible to be vaccinated. Colusa County Public Health will be coordinating with employers as vaccine becomes available.

Lake County (http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm) Lake County is vaccinating healthcare workers, long-term care residents who qualify under Phase 1A and in Phase 1B, residents age 65 and older and “those at risk of exposure at work in education who work or live in Lake County.” Online scheduling can be done at the above website.

Information on neighboring county’s vaccination programs

Butte County (http://www.buttecounty.net/ph/COVID19/vaccine) Butte County is in Phase 1B and educators are eligible.

 Nevada County (https://www.mynevadacounty.com/3148/Get-Vaccine-Information) Nevada County is only vaccinating individuals age 65 and above. Vaccine alerts and updates on eligibility are available by texting VACCINEINFO to 898211.

 Placer County (https://www.placer.ca.gov/vaccine) Placer County is vaccinating educators that live and work in Placer County. To stay informed about vaccine availability residents can visit www.placer.ca.gov/vaccine; or text PLACERVACCINE to the number 898211 to receive text alerts from 211.

 Sacramento County (https://www.saccounty.net/COVID-19/Pages/CoronavirusVaccine.aspx) Educators are eligible to be vaccinated. Information on accessing vaccinations is being shared through the school districts in the county.

 Solano County (https://solanocounty.com/depts/ph/coronavirus_links/covid_19_vaccines.asp) Educators are eligible for vaccination in Solano County. The County has a vaccine interest form that they use to pre-screen and inform individuals that are eligible to be vaccinated.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy focuses on New Daily Cases per 100,000 Population and Percentage of Tests that are Positive to determine a county’s risk level. For each level there is specific guidance related to business and community activity. That information can be found in the link above. Currently all counties in the YCCD District are in Tier 1, the most restrictive Tier. We are starting to see some local number fall into the second and third tiers. If that trend continues we may see entire counties moved from Tier 1 to less restrictive tiers during the next month. Current Positivity and New Case rates are shown on the above table. The color of the number indicates what tier that number would fall into.

YCCD COVID-19 Prevention Program 01.14.2021

COVID-19 Exposure Notification Requirement (AB 685) Revised 01_12_2021

YCCD Planning and Protocols for Reopening Campuses and District Facilities – June 24, 2020

Protocol-if-a-student or employee discloses-Symptoms-11.25.20-Version-8.0-Fillable

California Guidance for Reopening Institutions of Higher Education – August 7, 2020

Other Resources

State of California Coronavirus Website

California Community College Chancellor’s Website

FBI Message on COVID-19 Related Crimes 04.01.2020

Cyber Threats Warning in External Email

COVID-19 Videos

Face Coverings Required in California

NEW: Californians are now required to wear face coverings in public spaces – particularly indoors or when physical distancing is not possible. Read more on the state's new face covering mandate: covid19.ca.gov#YourActionsSaveLives

Posted by California Governor on Thursday, June 18, 2020

FAQ

Will summer classes be in-person or online?

The colleges are planning to return to in-person classes for those that are scheduled to be delivered in-person. In addition there are numerous classes that were already planned for online instruction and those will be delivered online. Faculty and staff are working to make ensure that we provide a safe space for students through maintaining social distancing, increasing cleaning and disinfecting of class spaces, and if necessary providing masks. Faculty for in-person classes are also preparing contingencies just in case classes will need to be delivered through online distance education. Colleges are consultation with local county health officials and we are using their guidance to help guide our decision making, along with the California Department of Public Health. We will reassess our decision on June 1 and if we cannot move forward with in-person instruction based on the guidance received and that time we will move as classes to an online format.

How will I be notified if there is a change is course delivery?

The district and colleges will provide updates via Catapult EMS, College Apps and the district website if there are any changes. Please make sure your current contact information is updated for the YCCD Catapult Emergency Messaging System please follow the link: https://apps.yccd.edu/EMS/

What are the plans for the Fall Term? I see many other colleges are moving everything online?

In consultation with the guidance received from local county health officials we are planning to provide a combination of online and in-person classes in the fall. We will have in-person classes as long as we can ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff through maintaining social distancing, increasing cleaning and disinfecting of class spaces, and if necessary providing masks. We understand that some students prefer in-person instruction and/or have difficulty with online classes. It is our hope that we accommodate the needs of all students and their desired instructional needs.

I am experiencing coronavirus symptoms. What do I do?

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please be advised to do the following: 1) Stay home and seek medical assistance. a. Contact your health care provider by phone for assessment. It is recommended that you call ahead and not just show up at their offices. b. If you do not have a health care provider, contact the college health services office by telephone. • Woodland Community College: (530) 661-7758 • Yuba College: (530) 740-1749 c. If the college health services office is not available, you should contact the county public health office in which you reside. • Colusa County Public Health: (530) 458-0250 • Glenn County Public Health: (530) 934-6588 • Lake County Public Health: (707) 263-1090 • Sutter County Public Health: (530) 822-7215 • Yolo County Public Health: (530) 666-8643 • Yuba County Public Health: (530) 749-6311 2) Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home 3) Wear a face mask when you are around other individuals. 4) Continue to follow the recommended prevention measures. • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Stay home when you are sick. • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. • Avoid sharing personal household items – dishes, cups, towels, bedding, etc… • Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday Source: Center for Disease Control 5) Monitor your symptoms • Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening (e.g., difficulty breathing). • Persons who are placed under active monitoring or facilitated self-monitoring should follow instructions provided by their local health department or occupational health professionals, as appropriate. • If you have a medical emergency and call 911, notify the dispatcher that you have, or are being evaluated for COVID-19. If possible, put on a face mask before emergency medical services arrive.

What precautionary measures will the college take to protect students and employees?

To provide an environment that ensures the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff the following steps are being taken at the campuses: • Deep cleaning of facilities has been conducted, and ongoing elevated cleaning will be maintained • Social Distancing Cues will be added throughout the campuses including signage, floor markings, change in configuration of classroom and other spaces. • Standardized language for in-person courses syllabi related to social distancing and face covering protocols will be provided to all faculty. • Line management software is being researched • Rotation of employee schedules is being analyzed • Protocols are being written

How do we mitigate students or employees from being ostracized as a result of fear surrounding coronavirus?

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The risk of getting coronavirus disease 2019 is currently low in the US, due in part to quick action from health authorities. However, some people are worried about the disease. Fear and anxiety can lead to social stigma towards Chinese or other Asian-Americans. Stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, with a population or nationality, even though not everyone in that population or from that region is specifically at risk for the disease (for example, Chinese-Americans and other Asian-Americans living in the United States). Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem. We can fight stigma and help not hurt others by providing social support. We can communicate the facts that being Chinese or Asian American does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19.

Will an EW affect my financial aid?

No, the deadline has passed for any negative financial aid impact.

Is the summer and fall schedule posted?

yes it is posted and available through WebAdvisor.

Other schools have moved lab to an online format. When are we going to do so?

Faculty are being encouraged to determine procedure to do so and are becoming familiar with programs such as Labster, which we hope to add to canvas.

Are we going to move to virtual libraries?

At this time libraries are serving students that need wifi or computer access. Strict social distancing is in place.