COVID-19 News Updates

On Thursday, December 3, 2020, Governor Newsom announced a new virus mitigation plan that would require closure of non-essential businesses in regions where less than 15 percent of ICU beds were available. Bay Area counties, including Alameda County, implemented the State’s new regional stay-at-home order (PDF) effective Monday, December 7, 2020, to proactively protect public health and prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

Since Mills has kept access to the campus limited, closed the campus to the public, offered primarily online classes, cancelled events, and kept the cohort of residential students small, there is little that we need to change under this new public health order on campus. Specific to higher education, the order does indicate that higher education institutions may offer in-person instruction for clinical training or classes and laboratory or studio classes only. In-person instruction is otherwise prohibited. As planned, Mills classes will continue to be remote for the remainder of the fall semester.

Read the Alameda County Public Health Order (PDF) to learn about restrictions off campus.

On Thursday, December 3, 2020, Governor Newsom announced a new virus mitigation plan that would require closure of non-essential businesses in regions where less than 15 percent of ICU beds were available. Bay Area counties, including Alameda County, today announced that they will implement the State’s new order effective Monday, December 7. Mills classes remain remote, as planned, for the remainder of the fall semester. The new public healthcare restrictions will be in place until January 4, 2021. Read the press release (PDF) for details.

Update 11.16.20:

The California Department of Public Health has moved Alameda County back to the purple tier (the most restrictive) starting at 12:01 am on November 18. "Due to very rapid and widespread increases in COVID-19 cases, the California Department of Public Health has modified its Blueprint for a Safer Economy to allow for a faster, more nimble response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than using data from two weeks ago and moving only one tier at a time, the state is now using data from the past week and moving counties multiple tiers if necessary. These significant changes allow for a timelier response that will protect our communities, save lives, and keep our healthcare systems from becoming overwhelmed." Read the press release (PDF).

Update 10.13.20:

On October 13, 2020, the State of California announced that Alameda County and Santa Clara County have been moved into the orange or "moderate" tier in the State's color-coded, four-tier "Blueprint for a Safer Economy. At this time, the Mills campus remains closed to the general public. Students, faculty, and staff are still required to pass a daily health check via the MillsGo app before coming to campus. Vendors and guests can take the daily health check by using this using this symptom check form. Read more details about campus access procedures.

There have been some questions about food delivery and people just dropping or picking someone up, so here is some further clarification:

Picking Up or Dropping Off:

• food or medical deliveries
• rideshare or taxi drivers
• spouses/partners/friends picking up or dropping off a Mills employee or student

The drivers must just drop off/pick up and not exit the vehicle or go into any building on campus. Anyone dropping off/picking up should be on campus for only 15 minutes.

If an employee/student is in the car and staying on campus, they can show the MillsGo app authorization to the Department of Public Safety officer through the window.

Any campus resident receiving food or other deliveries should come out of the residence to meet the driver and get the delivery. The driver should drop off and immediately leave the campus. In these cases, the driver does not need to do the symptom checker.

Update 9.21.20:

On August 28, 2020, the State of California announced a shift from its monitoring watchlist to a color-coded, four-tier "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." Alameda County and most of the Bay Area are in the purple tier, which is the most restrictive. While the County remains in that tier, the information below applies. We continue to actively monitor state and Alameda County Public Health Department mandates and look forward to the county being able to move into a less restrictive stance. As things begin to improve countywide, and our tier moves down to red, we will review the campus situation and try to provide broader access.

For now, the campus remains closed to the general public. Students, faculty, and staff are required to pass a daily symptom check via the MillsGo app before coming to campus. Vendors and guests can take the daily symptom check by using this using this symptom check form.

There have been some questions about food delivery and people just dropping or picking someone up, so here is some further clarification:

Picking Up or Dropping Off:

• food or medical deliveries
• rideshare or taxi drivers
• spouses/partners/friends picking up or dropping off a Mills employee or student

The drivers must just drop off/pick up and not exit the vehicle or go into any building on campus. Anyone dropping off/picking up should be on campus for only 15 minutes.

If an employee/student is in the car and staying on campus, they can show the MillsGo app authorization to the Department of Public Safety officer through the window.

Any campus resident receiving food or other deliveries should come out of the residence to meet the driver and get the delivery. The driver should drop off and immediately leave the campus. In these cases, the driver does not need to do the symptom checker.

Update 7.27.20:

In light of updated State of California and Alameda County public health orders, Mills has shifted its fall 2020 instruction plans so that nearly all academic courses—including many classes that would have been taught in hybrid or in-person mode—will be offered entirely online.Read the news story.

Update 7.9.20:

To reduce the risk presented by COVID-19 while supporting the Mills mission, the College has crafted a plan for fall 2020 that combines flexibility and personal attention with new approaches to space, time, and social interaction. Read the news story.

Update 6.18.20:

The Alameda County Public Health Department issued an updated shelter-in-place order effective June 19, 2020. This order allows for indoor/outdoor retail, limited religious and cultural ceremonies, outdoor dining, fitness, and museums. The shelter-in-place and social distancing protocols remain in effect. Read the order.

In addition, California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered that all Californians must wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings, including when shopping, taking public transit, or seeking medical care. This order takes effect immediately. Read the order(PDF).

Update 6.8.20, 4:26 PM:

Mills continues to adhere to public health guidelines to ensure the safety of Mills students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Based on current restrictions from the State of California, it is anticipated that most fall classes will be online, with some classes offered in a hybrid format. In addition, we will offer some in-person classrooms that will follow social distancing guidelines.

For students who are interested in living on campus, Mills will offer housing for the 2020-21 academic year with modifications. Current students can view the updates to housing and residential life policies (PDF) via the intranet. New students can contact housing@mills.edu for information. Safety measures include changes to policies and practices, including single-room assignments, social-distancing requirements, updated guest policies, and other best practices that will help protect the health of our students and community members.

We will also continue to offer robust student life programs, access to medical and mental healthcare, tutoring and writing services, career advising, and a spectrum of initiatives both in-person and virtually. More details will be announced as soon as possible.

Update 6.8.20:

The Alameda County Public Health Department issued an updated shelter-in-place order that went into effect today to allow some additional businesses to resume operations while maintaining the shelter-in-place and social distancing protocols.

Included in this new order is the requirement that face coverings must be worn at all times by all members of the public, including outdoors while engaged in physical activities (walking, running, biking, etc.) and within 30 feet of people outside of their household.

Effective June 8, 2020, the Health Officer Order to Update the Shelter in Place allows:

1. Small gatherings of individuals from different households to take place in outdoor settings, subject to certain conditions*;
2. Childcare providers to provide care to all children, not just children of essential workers, and establishes conditions under which youth extracurricular activities may resume;
3. Educational institutions to resume career internship and pathways programs;
4. Libraries to open for curbside pickup of books and other media;
5. Certain businesses providing services with limited person-to-person contact, including appliance repair, and pet grooming services, to resume operations.

^*The small outdoor gatherings are permitted for people belonging to the same social bubble. A social bubble is defined as a group of 12 or fewer people from different households

• A social bubble should be maintained for a minimum of 3 weeks
• Participation is restricted to only one social bubble at a time
• Members of a social bubble are strongly encouraged to comply with social distancing requirements and wear face coverings to the extent feasible.

Read the Alameda County Public Health Department 6.5.20 Order (PDF) for detailed information.

Update 5.18.20:

The Alameda County Public Health Department issued updated shelter-in-place orders today to allow some additional businesses to resume operations while maintaining the shelter in place and social distancing protocols.

Businesses that may resume operations at this time include:

• Retail stores for curbside or storefront pickup and/or delivery
• Manufacturing businesses
• Logistics and warehousing

Businesses and activities authorized under previous orders may continue.

Public or private gatherings of any size remain prohibited.

Everyone should continue to stay and work at home as much as possible, wear a face covering outside their home, and stay at least six feet away from people outside their household.

Non-essential travel remains prohibited.

Read the Alameda County Public Health Department 5.18.20 Order (PDF) for detailed information.

Update 4.30.20:

The Alameda County Public Health Department has amended the shelter-in-place order of March 31, 2020, and extended the county order until May 31, 2020.

Effective Monday, May 4, 2020, Alameda County has revised the shelter-in-place order (PDF) to allow some key activities to resume, while continuing social distancing protocols and requiring masks/face coverings (PDF) under certain circumstances. Activities that are now allowed, include:

• Construction projects that follow the Construction Project Safety Protocols;
• Real estate transactions, with restrictions on open houses and limited tours;
• Outdoor businesses such as nurseries, landscaping, and agriculture that operated outdoors prior to the shelter-in-place orders;
• Childcare, camps, and educational/recreation programs that provide care for children of people who are allowed to work outside of their homes; and
• Use of outside recreational resources such as skate parks and athletic fields.

Update 4.18.20:

Effective today, the Alameda County Public Health Department is now requiring that members of the public wear face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (PDF) in three main settings:

• While inside of or waiting in line to enter essential businesses and other businesses or facilities engaged in minimum-basis operations (includes, but not limited to: grocery stores, laundromats, restaurants, etc.)
• When seeking healthcare from healthcare operations (such as: hospitals, clinics, testing locations, dentists, pharmacies, blood banks, mental health providers, veterinary care for animals, etc.)
• When waiting for or riding on public transportation and other types of shared transportation (including, without limitation, any bus, BART, CalTrain, paratransit, taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing service)

The order does not apply to:

• Children twelve years old or younger
• People who are in their own cars alone or with members of their own household
• Those engaged in outdoor recreation, such as walking, hiking, bicycling, or running (although complying with social distancing requirements is still required)
• People working in a personal office (a single room) when others outside of that person’s household are not present, as long as the public does not regularly visit the room
• Those who can show that a medical professional has advised that wearing a face covering may pose health-related risks or for those who would experience safety risks related to their work when wearing a face covering

What you need to know about acceptable face coverings:

• A covering should be made of cloth, fabric, or other soft or permeable materials, without holes, that covers only the nose and mouth and surrounding areas of the lower face.
• The face covering may not hide or obscure a wearer’s eyes or forehead.
• The face covering should be comfortable so that the wearer can breathe comfortably through the nose and does not have to adjust it frequently, to avoid touching the face.
• As long as medical grade masks, such as N95 masks and surgical masks, are in short supply, members of the public should not purchase these masks as face coverings under this order.
• For face coverings that are not disposed of after each use, they should be cleaned frequently and you should have extra available so a clean one is available for use.

View the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tutorials on how to make a face covering and how to wear and clean face coverings (en Español).

Effective Date:

This order is effective immediately and until further notice. Alameda County will begin enforcement efforts at 8:00 am on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

Update 4.15.20:

Nearly a full month since the State of California ordered the shelter in place, the tremendous impact of those orders is clear. So far, we have collectively mitigated the potential harm of COVID-19 through an amazing display of self-distancing discipline and care in our communities. The changes that each of you have made in your daily behavior, combined with decisive state and county action, heroic front-line service providers, and even some good fortune, has made that mitigation possible. The health consequences of the virus are very real and protecting public health must remain at the top of our list of priorities.

The opportunities that lie ahead for Mills include the gradual, and likely uneven, restoration of economic and social activity in California that Governor Gavin Newsom began to describe at his press conference on April 14. Once our region begins to meet the public health conditions the Governor set out, Mills College will continue to protect the health of our community as we resume another version of modified operations.

We are approaching the COVID-19 crisis as an event that may affect us into 2021 and are planning appropriately. Our faculty are already thinking about how to adapt to a new educational climate in the Bay Area and beyond. Mills’ intimate size and expansive campus are valuable assets during a time when social distancing remains essential. We have great faith in the adaptability and creativity of Mills' staff, faculty, and students to meet this moment.

Update 4.6.20:

Mills is observing the following Social Distancing Protocol, as ordered by the Alameda County Department of Health, effective April 2, 2020, until further notice. This protocol is posted at the front entrance to campus and has been communicated to all staff and faculty. Copies are available for anyone granted access to the campus. The campus is currently closed to the public, although essential vendors, deliveries, and guests will be allowed.

The College has put the following procedures in place:

• To ensure that people entering the Mills College campus can always easily maintain a minimum of a six-foot distance from one another, the College will limit the number of people entering the campus at one time. This will be done by requiring that all people entering the campus stop at the security kiosk at the front gate and present an ID. Security officers will confirm that those entering have permission to do so and will check the ID against an approved list. Security will pace the visitors, so they are observing social distancing guidelines.
• Where lines may form, the College is establishing where individuals should stand to maintain adequate social distancing (six feet). Lines may form in the Tea Shop, where meals are served. The staff in the Tea Shop are monitoring the entrance and checking that patrons spread out six feet before entering the facility. Patrons then go in one at a time to request food, which is boxed up, and the patron leaves. This prevents lines from forming, and those waiting are six feet apart.
• Hand sanitizer or soap and water are provided near the entrance of facilities. At this time, most campus buildings are closed, and the campus is closed to the public, except for essential staff and students/staff/faculty in residence. The open buildings have hand sanitizer machines at the entrance, which are filled regularly by custodial staff, and soap and water in the bathrooms. All residence halls have soap and water in the bathrooms. Residence Life staff, Student Life staff in contact with students, and Public Safety staff have access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• The College disinfects payment portals frequently throughout the day. The College does not have contactless payments systems but has established a frequent cleaning schedule for high-touch areas to prevent infections.
• A sign is posted at the campus entrance indicating that anyone who has a cough or fever should avoid entering the campus. Everyone who does enter campus must maintain a minimum six-foot distance from one another; sneeze or cough into one’s elbow, not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact.

Update 3.20.20:

On Thursday, March 19, Governor Newsom issued a new, statewide executive order that broadens and deepens the shelter-in-place orders issued on Monday, March 16, 2020. As an educational facility that is part of a critical infrastructure sector specified by federal and state law, Mills remains authorized to continue with modified operations.

Mills has already implemented many of the measures required to comply with the new order (PDF). We are now taking the following additional steps:

1. Commencement, slated for May 16, 2020, will be postponed. We will share more about alternative dates for, and means of, celebrating the accomplishments of graduates after spring break. We deeply regret the necessity of delaying this much-cherished event.
2. At this time, the Mills campus access is restricted to campus residents and their essential guests and Mills employees who have been designated essential. Requests for campus access from anyone not in residence or performing an essential function already specified will not be approved.
3. Students remaining on campus are being contacted individually by residential life staff to verify their situations. They continue to be supported through modified dining and campus operations, including an expanded Mills Pantry that is now located in Cowell Hall.

We expect continued federal and state action in response to COVID-19 and will communicate regularly. Mills is also reaching out to public health authorities in Alameda County and the City of Oakland to support local responses.

Update 3.16.20, 3:15 PM:

As the state of California battles to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, public health officials have issued a "shelter in place" order that includes all of Alameda County, including Mills College. We are taking the following steps to implement this order:

1. As of 12:01 am on March 17, 2020, the Mills College campus will be closed except to residents, their essential guests, and campus-essential personnel. Residents of the campus will receive a separate communication about the impact of the order.
2. If your position requires that you work on campus, your supervisor will notify you today. Everyone else will work from home, if possible. Mills will fulfill its payroll without changes for exempt and non-exempt employees through the expected duration of the shelter in place order, April 7. Practices explained in earlier emails remain in effect, and Employee Services will soon send useful information, including how to process timesheets virtually, to staff and supervisors.
3. Online synchronous classes will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) as planned. ITS and the Provost’s Office will continue to provide technical and academic support for online instruction. ITS is resolving outstanding requests for tech help as quickly as possible.

We will continue to provide regular updates to keep everyone informed as this situation evolves.

Update 3.12.20, 5:00 PM:

In our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of our students and community members from the coronavirus, we need to follow a new course of action in response to the California Department of Public Health guidelines. With input from our faculty, students, administrators, and staff, we have determined that we will transition to online delivery of all classes for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

Mills College remains open, but all classes will be canceled on Friday, March 13, and Monday, March 16, to enable the College to move to online classes as expeditiously as possible.

Beginning Tuesday, March 17, ALL courses at Mills will be offered online for the remainder of the spring semester. This includes all lab, studio, and Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (APER) activities. Faculty will offer virtual office hours (and may also offer in-person hours, if possible). Mills will also offer support services to assist students with this transition.

Students, faculty, and staff who live on campus will continue to do so at this time, if they desire. Meals will be served at the Tea Shop, but hours may be subject to change. Please check the MillsGo app, the News Forums, and signage at dining locations for the latest hours. Low-risk, small events (following CDC guidelines) will continue to be held.

We recognize that this is a challenging time for our community. We encourage students to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 510.430.2111 or Spiritual and Religious Life at 510.430.3123 for help navigating these changes.

Update 3.11.20, 4:00 PM:

In line with other local institutions of higher education and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we are now taking the following preventative actions:

• Courses with 30 or more students will shift to online delivery starting March 11 through the end of spring break on March 29. Most small classes, including labs, will continue to meet in person. We will reassess at the end of spring break.
• The Provost’s Office will reach out to faculty teaching these classes to provide support for online instruction during the next two weeks.If there are exams scheduled in these classes, they should take place as scheduled using take-home exams or by arranging to schedule students in multiple classrooms.
• The College is currently canceling medium- or high-risk events for the month of March. We will assess April and May events as updates become available. We identify risk based on event size (50 or more individuals), the ability to limit physical interaction, and if attendees from outside the Mills community are included.
• Low-risk, small events (following CDC guidelines) will continue.
• Employees are being given the option to work remotely, when possible, to reduce their health risk, in collaboration with their supervisor. Visit our telecommuting resources page for more information.
• Mills-funded travel is canceled for the month of March, and updates regarding travel will be provided in the coming weeks. Many airlines are allowing travelers to rebook travel without penalties, you will find updates regarding cancellations and bookings on their websites.

Update 3.6.20, 4:30 PM:

Mills College remains open as we monitor city, state, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports on the status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our area. Northern California now has a number of confirmed cases, but as of this writing, no one on the Mills campus has been diagnosed with COVID-19to our knowledge. While this virus has been reported as mild for many people, preparation is important.

In addition to the precautionary steps we have already taken to increase campus housekeeping, add additional sanitizing stations, and post health education signage across the College, our Incident Response Team initiated planning in the event of any potential disruption to academic or administrative services. Campus leadership is assessing what measures would need to be taken if the virus were to interrupt operations, including:

• Remote learning solutions are being evaluated utilizing existing and additional tools such as Blackboard and virtual conferencing tools.

• Remote working solutions are being assessed utilizing existing and additional tools such as the Mills VPN and virtual conferencing tools.

Students, faculty, staff, or visitors who exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, and shortness of breath) should not come to the Mills campus.In addition, if someone in your household or someone you have come in contact with is diagnosed with COVID-19, please contact the Alameda County Public Health Department and notify them of your contact. You may have to be isolated for the required number of days, and you will need to be medically cleared before returning to campus. Students will not be penalized for missing class for this reason, and faculty/staff can work with Human Resources on their unique circumstances.

Update 3.3.20, 9:21 AM:

Mills College is open and monitoring city, state, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports on the status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our area. We will provide updates to the campus community as they become available.

Mills has taken the following steps to protect the campus community:

• We activated our Incident Response Team as part of our emergency preparedness process. This team will monitor updates, prepare communications, evaluate resources and policies, and provide educational material regarding general influenza protocols.
• Housekeeping has increased its cleaning schedule, including additional daily cleaning with disinfectants in high-traffic areas.
• We are installing more hand sanitizers in high-traffic areas on campus. Quarantine areas will be available in select residence halls if needed.
• We will monitor the study abroad trip