We hope you are enjoying the winter break and look forward to welcoming you to campus over the coming days.
When you come on to campus, there will be some additional measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. These have been outlined in an open letter from the Education Secretary.
The good news is that face to face teaching, examinations and practical activity will continue as planned; your timetable is unaffected.
The main change is that face coverings are now mandatory on campus (unless you are exempt), and this includes all teaching and learning spaces.
Here is some important information, reminders, and updates for you:
Testing
Please take a lateral flow test before returning to campus, and then continue to test twice a week. You can order test kits online or collect them from locations across our campuses, and make sure you report your result online, even if it’s negative. Our on-site testing centre is currently closed, and we will update you on the future of this soon.
Vaccines and boosters
If you are eligible for your first, second, or booster dose of the vaccine, and have not yet had this, please do so as soon as possible. Vaccines are our best defence against Covid-19. They help protect young people and adults, and benefit those around them. Vaccination makes people less likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on. Find out how and where to get a vaccination or booster.
Face coverings
Face coverings are already mandatory on our Unibus, and in communal areas (including the Atrium) and shops. This is now extended to teaching settings, including classrooms, the libraries, specialist spaces and examinations (unless you are exempt). This will be reviewed nationally on 26 January.
Reporting a positive result
If you test positive for Covid-19, please report this to Wellbeing, using the process under ‘Covid reporting’ within the Covid-19 tile on UDo.
Self-isolation
Self-isolation rules have changed over the past couple of weeks. If you have tested positive, you may now be able to leave self-isolation after 7 days if certain conditions are met. Read more about how long to self-isolate.
Ventilation
Ventilation is one of the best ways to help disperse the virus in indoor spaces. Please dress warmly as some of our rooms rely on open windows for ventilation.
Hygiene
Please also continue to follow the basic rules of good hygiene. These are:
- washing your hands
- cleaning your surroundings
- covering your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze
These measures are important to ensure we continue to keep all our people as safe as possible. Thank you once again for your continued support throughout all the changes and challenges we have faced. We look forward to seeing you on campus.
Kind regards,
University of Derby