The university apartments welcomed about 1000 undergraduate students on the weekend of Jan. 17, who joined the 1400 students with special circumstances already living in university housing. This marks a cautious step towards normalcy amid the most difficult time for Santa Barbara County since the beginning of the pandemic. Nexus photographers joined the students, parents and staff to witness the move-in that saw much change from typical times.
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- Residents of San Joaquin Apartments checked in at an outdoor shed. (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
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- Signs leading up to the check-in point of the San Joaquin Apartments lined the walkway. (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
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- The indoor administrative offices are modified to provide service to residents at the door. At Sierra Madre Apartments, students were checked in at a temporary service counter. (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
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- Staff provided check-in to students at Santa Ynez Apartments. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
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- QR codes for check-in were posted on the windows of the laundry room of Santa Ynez Apartments. Web-based services were employed to reduce contact during the check-in procedures. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
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- A student and their family passed by a sign urging practicing COVID-19 precautions. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
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- A large tent was set up over the weekend at the Santa Catalina Hall to provide COVID-19 screening to incoming housing residents. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
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- A university official demonstrated a wristband to the Nexus, which was issued to students upon completing the COVID-19 screening. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
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- Parents waited on the lawn outside the San Joaquin Apartments. (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
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- Students and parents carried their luggage to the apartments. (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
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- Vehicles of the students and their family lined up on the alley at San Joaquin Apartments. (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
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- A sign at the entrance of Santa Ynez Apartments urged community members to take actions that mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Under the spiking rate of infection in the region, the university apartments may have to remain quiet for a while after welcoming new residents. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
