Essential COVID-19 information.

What action should you take?

• Self-isolate for 10 days or until fever subsides if longer than 10 days
• Book a COVID-19 test online or by calling NHS 119

What about your household or support bubble?

• Your household or support bubble must also self-isolate for 10 days, if they have no symptoms. They must continue to self-isolate even if they test negative during this self-isolation period

What about the University?

• Inform the University as soon as possible by completing this form – please do not wait until your test results have been received. By reporting directly to us we can work with Public Health England to take action quickly to reduce the chances of other people catching the virus.
• Please also inform your Programme Team so they can support you in your studies. 
• If you were on placement in the 48hrs before symptoms, you must also self-report to your placement provider.

If you are feeling significantly unwell, use the NHS 111 service either online or by phone. In a medical emergency dial 999

You can stop self-isolating but continue to look after your symptoms of ill health.

Your household or support bubble no longer have to self-isolate.

Let the University and your Programme Team know.  Once you feel well enough, you can resume any on-campus sessions.

You may be asked to self-isolate if NHS Test & Trace considers you as a recent close contact to someone who has tested positive.

Please do not panic, follow any advice given to you by NHS Test and Trace, self-isolate for 10 days and be aware of potential COVID-19 symptoms.

If you then develop symptoms please refer to ‘What to do if you have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19’.

What about your household or support bubble?

There is no need for others in your household or support bubble to self-isolate, unless you develop symptoms. However, you should try to keep your distance from them wherever possible.

What about the University?

• Inform the University as soon as possible by completing this form – please do not wait until your test results have been received. By reporting directly to us we can work with Public Health England to take action quickly to reduce the chances of other people catching the virus.
• Please inform your Programme Team so they can support you in your studies.

You do not have to self-isolate if your household member is not experiencing symptoms.

If your household member then develops COVID-19 symptoms, please refer to ‘What to do if you have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19’.

You must self-isolate for 10 days. If you develop symptoms, please refer to ‘What to do if you have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19’.

If they then receive a negative test – you are no longer required to self-isolate.

What about the University?

• Inform the University as soon as possible by completing this form – please do not wait until your test results have been received. By reporting directly to us we can work with Public Health England to take action quickly to reduce the chances of other people catching the virus.
• Please also inform your Programme Team so they can support you in your studies.
• If you were on placement in the 48hrs before symptoms, you must also self-report to your placement provider.

You do not need to self-isolate unless contacted by NHS Test & Trace, but may want to take extra care around social distancing and good hygiene.

If applicable you can continue to visit campus – please take extra care around social distancing and good hygiene.

This list changes frequently, please ensure you check on your return.

You will have had to fill in a passenger locator form on your return to provide your travel and contact details to NHS Test & Trace.

You must self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days upon your return to the UK. If you develop symptoms, please refer to ‘What to do if you have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19’.

You are not required to self-isolate upon your return to the UK, unless you have visited or made a transit stop in a country or territory not on the list in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

We all have a role to play in supporting the safety of our community by observing social distancing, maintaining good hygiene practice and following the Government protocol around contact tracing and self-isolating.

Here are some of the key guidelines that you will need to follow when on campus:

• Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 symptoms or if you think you have been in contact with someone with COVID-19.

• Face coverings - These are required to be worn by all staff, students and visitors when inside University buildings.
  
  If you cannot wear a face covering for health, age or equality reasons, as detailed in the Government guidance you are exempt.
  
  If you wish to indicate that you are exempt, face covering exemption cards and sunflower lanyards are available from Anselm security lodge and Medway and Salomons receptions.. Please note, displaying an exemption card or lanyard is a personal choice and not necessary in law.

• Hand washing - Please maintain good hygiene by washing your hands regularly with soap and water (minimum of 20 seconds) or with hand sanitiser. Avoid touching your face, eyes or mouth.

• Social distancing - Social distancing is in place on campus, either 2m apart or 1m plus mitigations, in line with Government guidance. This must be followed. Where mitigations are in place, you must comply with instructions for alternative procedures, such as standing behind screens or following one-way routes.

• Opt into the NHS Test and Trace in designated areas across the campus.

• You must follow all directional arrows, one-way routes and signs.

• Ventilation - remember to open windows.
• Stairs - Do not pass others on stairs. Stairways are 1 direction only. Follow directional arrows & maintain 2m distance in front and behind.

• Lifts - Do not use the lift unless you are physically unable to use the stairs. Lifts are single person use only.

• Toilets - These may be single person use. Follow door instructions to ensure you do not enter occupied spaces. Maintain your distance to allow occupants to exit whilst maintaining their social distance from you.

The following are just some of the measures we will be implementing to keep our campuses safe:

• Social distancing procedures for each campus, building and specialist facility.

• Asking all students and staff to wear face covering when inside University buildings. Exceptions include; when you are the only person in a room, when you are seated and more than two metres away from another person, when you are at a service counter which has a separating screen, or if you cannot wear a face covering for health, age or equality reasons, as detailed in the Government guidance. 
  
  If you wish to indicate that you are exempt, face covering exemption cards for lanyards are available from Anselm security lodge and Medway and Salomons receptions. As a University, we also recognise the Hidden Disability sunflower lanyard. Please note, displaying an exemption card or lanyard is a personal choice and not necessary in law.

• Screens where close face-to-face interaction is required.

• NHS Test and Trace in designated areas.

• Managing footfall on campus through staggering start times and introducing booked appointments.

• Installing additional and appropriate fixed hand washing or sanitising stations at key locations.

• Increasing cleaning regimes, including a daily clean of whole buildings and multiple targeted cleans of high-contact surfaces. For your health and safety we are conducting a full clean of rooms between each learning and teaching session. Please do not arrive early for your session or enter the room before cleaning has been completed.

The Government expects all students returning to campus to take asymptomatic tests. Once here the recommendation is for students to take a test twice a week.

Regular testing will help to break chains of transmission, identify asymptomatic infections and help further ensure your safety on campus.

Find out more here

We’re asking you to support the NHS Test and Trace by registering your details when in key locations across our campuses. This is part of a national scheme operating in venues across the UK that includes catering outlets, places of worship and libraries.

Simple download the NHS Covid19 App and then use QR code to check-in to these venues:

Canterbury

• Augustine House Library (excluding teaching spaces)
• University Chapel
• Food Court
• Students’ Union Lounge
• Old Sessions House café
• Touchdown café

Medway

• Touchdown café

Tunbridge Wells

• Salomons Library

All this information can be found on our Test and Trace web page www.canterbury.ac.uk/testandtrace

If you need specific support in relation to COVID-19, please contact our Student Support Health and Wellbeing Advisers at studentwellbeing@canterbury.ac.uk

• Extremely vulnerable clinical health condition - If you have an extremely vulnerable clinical health condition you are now advised to study from home and not to go onto campus. Please contact Student, Support, Health and Wellbeing via email disability@canterbury.ac.uk, so that they can discuss your needs and liaise with you and your programme team on what adjustment may need to be put in place for you to engage with your studies safely.
  
  If you live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but you are not clinically extremely vulnerable yourself, you should still attend your timetabled learning and teaching on campus and online.
  
  A definition of extremely clinically vulnerable can be found here. Individuals in this group will have been identified through a letter from the NHS or from their GP.

• Other vulnerable health conditions - Click here for the latest list of ‘vulnerable’ health conditions. If you have a vulnerable health condition please contact Student Support, Health and Wellbeing so that adequate precautionary measures can be put in place for your safe return to campus.  

• Other Personal circumstances and characteristics - Click here for Public Health England’s review on the risks and outcomes of COVID-19 linked to a range of other personal circumstances and characteristics, including ethnicity. Please contact Student Support, Health and Wellbeing if you would like to discuss your return to campus, given any personal circumstances and characteristics. 

• Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan – If you have an existing Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) you will need to contact Student Support, Health and Wellbeing to ensure that altered access routes on campus have not impacted on your safety.

If you have a health condition and have concerns about coming onto campus, please contact Student Support so that they can discuss your needs and liaise with you and your programme team on what adjustment may need to be put in place for you to engage with your studies safely. This could encompass a range of measures and in exceptional circumstance may including studying solely online for a period of time.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and visitors, are our priority.

We have a range of measures in place to make the campus COVID-19 secure.

In addition, to protect our community the University has a COVID-19 Management and Outbreak plan. This is based on Government guidance and developed in consultation with and approved by Public Health England. It will help us to respond quickly to any outbreaks, keep our students and staff safe and continue to provide an outstanding education.

We follow the Department of Education four tier guidance:

• Tier 1 – the University provides blended learning including face-to-face on campus and online teaching.
• Tier 2 – the University moves to an increased level of online learning, retaining face-to-face on campus teaching where possible.
• Tier 3 – the University increases the level of online learning, retaining face-to-face on campus provision for priority courses (for example, clinical and medical courses).
• Tier 4 – the University expects the majority of learning and teaching to be online, with buildings open for essential workers only. This includes the continuation of essential research requiring access to University premises.

We would only move to another tier following Government and Public Health England guidance that stricter measures are needed for the safety of our community.

We will communicate with students if there are any changes to the level of tier. The level may vary depending on your Programme or campus. 

At all levels we remain committed to delivering an outstanding education and ensuring you continue to have the opportunities to succeed in your studies.