Holiday reminders from UIC contact tracing

In 2020, the Thanksgiving and December holiday seasons led to the greatest increases in travel since the start of the pandemic, as loved ones gathered to celebrate from all corners of the country. A few short weeks later, the U.S. reported record numbers of positive cases on a single day. This trend was mirrored within our UIC community. In fact, we experienced our greatest increase in positive cases following the holidays, reaching a high of 28 cases per day, a rate that far exceeded case occurrence before or after that holiday-related surge.

As we, again, prepare to enter the holiday season, we want to remind you of the following guidance to keep you, your friends and family, and the UIC community safe:

• Get tested 48-72 hours before leaving campus and upon return. Testing is especially important when multiple households are gathering, and even more important when they are gathering from different states or countries.
• Saliva testing is quick, convenient and no appointment is required.
• Limit unmasked interactions for 14 days prior to gathering to decrease the risk of bringing COVID-19 to a gathering or event.
• Get vaccinated if you are not already, and if you are eligible for the booster, consider scheduling it now.

For more information on how to stay safe during holiday gatherings, please visit our dashboard.