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The ‘new’ corona measures
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We had hoped we wouldn’t have to email you about corona measures again for a while, but the increasing number of infections and new government measures make it necessary for us to inform you about a number of things: the basic rules, face masks, the 1.5 metres-distance rule, working from home, events and sports.
Top priority still: the basic rules
The way things were going lately, you might have almost forgotten them…but they are still important: the basic rules. We'll list them for you one more time:
- In case of symptoms, stay at home and get tested at the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD). Even if you have been vaccinated.
- If you test positive, stay at home. Even if you have been vaccinated.
- 1.5 metres is a safe distance to keep from one another (more on that below).
- Don’t shake hands and wash them often and thoroughly.
- Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
- Indoors, provide fresh air and ventilate.
Read more on the website of the Dutch government.
Making a comeback: face masks
The last few weeks we could walk around the UM buildings like we used to, without face masks. As of 6 November, they are once again a required part of the standard ‘outfit’ when you come to the office. Like before, you put your face mask on when you move around and take it off (if you want to) when you are seated. This applies to all situations in all buildings.
And the 1.5 metre-distance rule?
The government recommends 1.5 metres as a safe distance to keep from one another. The 1.5 metre-distance rule was already eased in education settings before the summer - earlier than in the rest of the Netherlands, because the government saw the importance of on-campus education. As an extra measure, the requirement to wear a face mask remained in force for a longer period of time for us. The government's new advice is in line with this, which again allows us to continue our teaching and research activities. That means we try to keep a distance of 1.5 metres from each other where possible and wear face masks when we move around. In this way, on-campus education and research are organised in the safest possible way.
Stricter, but no change for UM: working from home
The government has made the rules on working from home stricter again. Until yesterday, the rule was 'work from home if possible, at the office if necessary'. As of today, the rule is 'work at least half of your working hours from home'. At UM, our Future of Working @UM agreements already comply with this. Therefore, nothing will change at the moment. Is it absolutely necessary for your work that you are on campus for more than half of your working hours? Then make clear arrangements with your manager.
What does this mean for our events?
The rules that apply to UM events depend on a number of factors: what type of event is it, is it held at a UM venue and are there mainly internal or external visitors? In a nutshell, the rules are as follows:
For ‘regular’ UM activities
These are all activities that fall within our primary work; for example, tutorials, exams, graduation ceremonies, promotions, open days and inaugural speeches.
- If these take place on campus, the on-campus rules as described above apply. A coronavirus entry pass is not required.
- If these take place at an external location, that location will determine which rules apply. If they are willing to apply the education-related rules, the on-campus rules as described above will apply. A coronavirus entry pass is not required. If they are not willing to apply the education-related rules, the rules of the relevant location will apply.
For ‘non-regular’ UM activities
These are all activities that fall outside of our primary work; for example, conferences and seminars.
- If these are mainly attended by UM staff and students, the on-campus rules as described above apply. A coronavirus entry pass is not required.
- If these are attended by a large number of external guests, a coronavirus entry pass will be required.
Where a coronavirus entry pass is required, the face mask requirement does not apply.
The Bachelor Open Day will take place this Saturday!
We can welcome our prospective students on campus Saturday with open arms and without a coronavirus entry pass – and we are very happy about that! We will try to keep as much distance as possible from each other and ventilate our rooms well. A face mask is mandatory, however, indoors and on the shuttle buses.
Finally: sports at UM
We are still investigating the rules regarding the use of the UM-SPORT facilities. We will come back to this topic as soon as possible.
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