All USC students are encouraged to pick up a free COVID-19 antigen testing kit for use after spring break travel. You will receive an email from the USC Bookstores with a unique QR code for pickup, and when you return to campus from travel, use this kit within the first 24 hours of arriving back to your residence. If you test NEGATIVE, you may proceed to classes and activities. No uploads are necessary. Schedule a PCR test through Pop Testing between days 3-5 after your return from travel to confirm your results. Learn more about safety over spring break and kit pickup locations.
Category: COVID-19
Category used to notify the community of COVID-19 infections within the USC Community.
Beginning March 7, masking will no longer be required indoors in most locations on USC campuses. This includes classes, labs, offices, libraries, recreational facilities, dining facilities, and athletic facilities.
Local, state, and federal guidance requires continued masking in health care facilities (including patient care buildings and testing sites) and on public transportation (including USC shuttles). Masking may also be required in certain circumstances, like in the event of an outbreak on campus.
The university is reviewing the guidance and monitoring data in our region and for our campuses. Although our masking policies have not changed yet, we will provide more information next week after consultation with our public health experts and local authorities. Even as masking requirements are relaxed, members of our community are encouraged to continue wearing face coverings as an additional layer of personal safety.
At this time, we anticipate additional easing of restrictions in Los Angeles County that will enable us to lift our indoor masking requirements by the time students return from Spring Recess.
As announced on February 16, Los Angeles County removed restrictions for outdoor masking, based on improved metrics for hospitalizations and case fatalities. Outdoor masking is now also lifted for university-sponsored events. Masking is required indoors, on transportation, and at health care facilities (including testing sites). We are anticipating that metrics will continue to improve even more in one more week, so are planning for a lifting of some campus measures slated for March 1.
The COVID-19 omicron variant — which went from newly detected to widespread transmission seemingly overnight — is showing a decline, both in Los Angeles County and at USC. “We are relieved to have passed the peak of this winter surge,” said Sarah Van Orman, chief medical officer for USC Student Health. As the campus emptied…
Information related to student and employee medical records, including test results and vaccination/booster status, are protected under federal privacy laws (HIPAA). Information that is collected is considered protected health information. It is not shared with other USC employees and is used solely for public health notification purposes.
We look forward to seeing our students back on our campuses. Although this beginning of 2022 coincides with a challenging phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are marshaling all our resources to make this a successful semester. Each of you — our students, faculty, and staff — has shown tremendous strength and resilience, and we are grateful to be part of a wonderful community rich in friendship and kindness. Given the distinct challenges of the Omicron variant, USC will add four additional days of remote learning, and we now plan to resume in-person instruction Monday, January 24. Our plan – similar to that of other universities in Southern California – is based on both the available resources and unique challenges here in Los Angeles.
Peak access times for MySHR (to schedule testing) is expected to be highest on Monday, January 3 (and again on Monday, January 10 & Tuesday, January 18), from the morning through the afternoon. High access volume may result in system unavailability for some users. Accessing MySHR during the weekend, and evenings after 6 PM are recommended. If you have tested positive during Winter Break with results from outside of USC, please upload a photo or scan of the results into MySHR (in “upload documents”) and complete the contact tracing form. Uploading your positive result, or a photo of your home testing kit result, AND completing the contact tracing form will automatically exempt you from surveillance testing for 90 days once it is reviewed by our staff. This ensures your Trojan Check will permit you access to campus.
We hope you are enjoying a restorative Winter Break. As we prepare for the new year and the 2022 Spring semester, we are sharing some specific details regarding health and safety campus protocols around COVID-19. The University is requiring booster doses for all students, faculty, and staff. The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. See previous important messages regarding test positivity in the surge operations message of Dec 23, 2021 and the Spring semester update of Dec. 24, 2021. Pre-travel: Students are required to test for COVID-19 prior to leaving their Winter Break location, it is recommended that you test 48 hours prior to leaving. Upload your results into MySHR. If you test positive, you should remain in your current location and isolate for ten (10) days; complete the contact tracing form in MySHR.
Los Angeles County is experiencing a growing surge of COVID-19 cases, which we are also seeing in the USC population. Current USC test positivity rates are at 10%.
To adjust to the expected volume of positive cases over the next weeks during this surge, contact tracing is now largely automated through a MySHR secure message form.