Your safety is our top priority and we are doing lots to make our campus safe and welcoming for you when you arrive. Before the start of the semester, we’ll be releasing detailed safety guidance, but here’s some things you should know now.
Face coverings
On campus, wearing a face covering is essential when indoors in public areas unless you are exempt. Face coverings should cover both your mouth and nose, and we will provide every student with two washable face coverings in your welcome pack.
When it’s essential to wear a face covering:
Indoors in University buildings
Cafe’s and welfare spaces
Lecture theatres and teaching rooms
Libraries and computer clusters
Common spaces of your halls of residence
Travelling on public transport
In shops
Off campus, government guidelines stipulate where you should wear a face covering. You can find the current government guidelines on wearing face coverings on their website.
Regular cleaning of buildings and rooms
We are implementing good infection control procedures, for example, by frequently cleaning and disinfecting our buildings and rooms more frequently including objects and surfaces that are touched regularly including door handles, light switches, IT equipment, desks, phones, taps etc. Perspex screens will also be used across the University in some areas.
Hand sanitisers
We’re adding hand sanitiser stations at key points on campus, as well as many available hand washing facilities. Once inside our buildings, use the hand sanitiser provided or wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. You should then sanitise or wash your hands regularly as you move around.
One-way systems
When you arrive on campus, you’ll notice that our buildings will have clearly marked entry and exit points. Please make sure that you familiarise yourself with our one-way systems when getting yourself around campus, and check you’re using the right doors when you enter and exit.
Social distancing
We are following government guidance and implementing a 2 metre social distancing rule to make sure we all stay safe on campus. Signage and floor markings across our buildings will help you to maintain 2 metre social distancing, and any face-to-face teaching will be in spaces that allow for social distancing to be maintained.
Transition time
We’re adding transition slots between timetabled classes, so we can safely enable one group to exit before the next group arrives. We ask that you arrive no later than 5 minutes before the start of your class and go straight to your room when you arrive so that essential cleaning can take place between classes.
Register with a GP
As soon as you know your term time address, register with your local GP to make sure you’re covered as soon as you arrive on campus. You can find your nearest GP surgery and complete registration online, and we have some helpful advice on registering with a GP and UK healthcare here.
Contact tracing
We are introducing a local contact-tracing procedure at the University. You can use our new mobile safety app to check-in when you’re on campus – and we’ll let you know if someone you were near tests positive for Covid-19. This means that any local instances can be quickly dealt with and contacts traced to prevent further spread of the virus on campus, and also more widely, dependent on the situation.
We’ll share instructions on installing the app later this month.
Self-isolating
If you or someone you live with has symptoms of Covid-19, please self-isolate and check the latest government guidance on what to do next if you are showing symptoms.
Community safety
Remember that when you’re off campus you’re still a representative for our University. The local area is a mixture of a diverse range of people, some of whom may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.
It’s vital that we each make a commitment to protect the health and safety of the wider community. This means that you need to take direct and deliberate actions to prevent the spread of coronavirus by following UK government guidance at all times, including when you’re off campus.
Our safety guidance is always changing to keep up with local and government updates, so for the most up-to-date information keep an eye on the safety section of the Welcome website.