The recent Omicron outbreak is now impacting on-campus university classes in California.
The decision to delay on-campus instruction comes after University of California President Micheal V. Drake issued a letter to 10 UC chancellors Tuesday afternoon.
"The emergence of this new and fast-moving variant, coupled with student travel to and from campus and the prevalence of gatherings over the holidays, will present our campuses with a unique set of public health challenges as we begin the New Year," Drake wrote.
The letter calls for a plan for each campus to mitigate public health impacts, considers the different circumstances each campus faces, and discusses the teaching and research operations before their January return.
Issued statements have been made by several campuses about their winter quarter plans.
In a recent announcement, UC Santa Barbara decided to begin its winter quarter on January 3 with two weeks of remote instruction.
The UC states, "The decision to delay in-person teaching is related to supporting students and instructors, particularly those who either test positive over winter break and cannot travel back to campus on time, or who test positive upon arrival and need to isolate."
The college encouraged faculty and students to get their COVID-19 booster shot before the beginning of the winter quarter.
UC San Diego, UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, and UCLA also decided to delay in-person learning with two weeks of remote learning.
UC Davis will have only one week of remote learning.